US military
US Defense Minister: For the time being, no troop reduction
It is feared that President Trump could deduct US soldiers from Europe to a larger scale. Nothing concrete is yet planned, says his Pentagon boss. But everything comes to the test.
According to its own statements, the US government does not plan an immediate reduction in the number of American soldiers from troops in Europe. “There are no plans at the moment to shorten anything,” said US defense minister Pete Hegseth when visiting the American military in Stuttgart. However, he emphasized: “There is agreement that we will check the argument worldwide.” US President Donald Trump has different ideas than his predecessor Joe Biden in many places. And it would be careless not to check the troops of the armed forces everywhere, he warned.
According to the European command of the US Armed Forces (Eucom), around 78,000 American soldiers are currently stationed in Europe-including around 37,000 in Germany.
With a view to the upcoming talks of the NATO defense minister in Brussels to Ukraine, Hegseth said: “We will talk to our friends openly.” The urgency of the moment is aimed at talking to the partners about military skills, leadership and load division. This means that those in particular should invest in the neighborhood. “Common sense says that you defend your neighborhood,” emphasized the Pentagon boss. The Americans could support.
US defense spending? “Not below three percent”
With a view to Trump’s demand for higher defense spending on the other NATO countries, Hegseth was asked whether the United States should also increase its own investments in the military to five percent of gross domestic product (GDP). “I think the United States has to spend more than the Biden government was ready,” said the minister. “But we live in times of financial constraints when we have to deal responsibly with the money of taxpayers.” In his view, the United States should “not go below three percent”.
Trump had recently demanded that the other NATO countries should invest five percent in defense instead of the two percent of their gross domestic product (GDP). The Americans have not even reached this value themselves. After the latest NATO statistics in June 2024, the USA was at a value of 3.38 percent.
dpa
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
