Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will be expanding Germany’s U.S. military presence by 500 troops, halting plans for massive troop cuts ordered by former President Donald Trump.
“This planned increase in U.S. personnel underscores our commitment to Germany and the entire NATO alliance,” Austin said at a joint news conference Tuesday, according to the Associated Press.
His comments largely differ from the Trump administration’s repeated complaints that Germany is a weak partner on defense and security.
BIDEN LIKELY TO SCRAP PARTS OF TRUMP DECISION TO PULL TROOPS FROM GERMANY
“These forces will strengthen deterrence and defense in Europe. They will augment our existing abilities to prevent conflict, and, if necessary, fight and win,” Austin said.
German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer called the announcement a “strong signal” of a healthy U.S.-German relationship. The extra 500 U.S. troops will be stationed permanently in Germany’s Wiesbaden area as early as this fall.
Last year, Trump ordered the withdrawal of 12,000 troops from Germany as the former president considered the situation as Germany’s refusal to spend more on its own defense.
“They’ve been delinquent for years, and they owe NATO billions of dollars,” Trump said of Germany in June 2020.
The United States currently stations about 35,000 troops in Germany. Austin’s Tuesday announcement is the first strong indication he may not carry out Trump’s decision, which included shifting the U.S. European Command headquarters from Germany to Belgium.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
The German minister reportedly said she had President Joe Biden’s word that “there will be no troop reduction as was previously planned.”
The Department of Defense did not immediately respond to the Washington Examiner’s request for comment.
