German Defense Minister Kramp-Karrenbauer met Tuesday, April 13, with visiting U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who said the new U.S. administration considers strengthening relations with Germany, Europe’s largest economy, a top priority and pledged a 500-troop increase in Germany.
According to Politics Week, U.S. Defense Secretary Austin met with Kahlenbauer in Berlin on April 13. At a joint briefing afterward, Austin said he had a “productive” conversation with Kahlenbauer on several security issues and said NATO is the strongest U.S. ally, and he pledged a permanent increase of 500 troops in Germany because maintaining a U.S. military presence in the country is so beneficial to both NATO and the United States.
Austin said, “I briefed the German defense minister on our intention to add an additional 500 troops in the Wiesbaden area as early as this fall. This will be a permanent troop presence. This force will strengthen deterrence and defense in Europe, and can go to war and win if necessary.”
Regarding former U.S. President Donald Trump’s complaint that German defense spending is increasing too slowly, Austin said the United States still wants Germany’s defense spending to continue to increase because it has not yet reached the 2 percent of GDP commitment it made, but acknowledged the German government’s efforts to reach this goal, adding that there is still time for the German government to achieve it.
NATO data show that Germany’s defense budget has increased by 1/3 over 2013, but remains below NATO’s medium level; and that Germany is one of the few Western countries among NATO members that has not achieved spending 20 percent of its defense spending on defense equipment.
Austin also praised the German government’s plans to deploy its navy to the Indo-Pacific region, calling the move, “a concrete sign of the German government’s commitment to upholding a rules-based international order and maintaining stability in the Indo-Pacific region. “
Kahlenbauer, for her part, called today’s visit by Austin and the U.S. government’s commitment to increase troops a strong message for the U.S.-German alliance, saying, “It is certainly good news for Germany that the United States is not only no longer withdrawing its troops from Germany, but is instead strengthening its relationship with Germany by increasing its troop presence in the country. This decision by the U.S. government encourages us in Germany to make further contributions to enhancing our bilateral relations and strengthening our partnership with NATO.”
“By increasing its military presence in Europe and Germany, and its commitment to NATO allies, the United States is and will remain an important pillar of our domestic peace.”
Analysts see Austin’s trip to Germany as a move by the Biden administration to reestablish the U.S. as an international leader. However, Austin’s trip faced many difficult issues, such as Russia’s big troops in Ukraine; the U.S. Department of Defense announced during Austin’s visit to Germany on the 13th that it will withdraw from Afghanistan on September 11 this year, but how to solve the difficult situation in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of U.S. troops; and during Austin’s visit to Israel, Iran alleged that Israel destroyed Iran’s uranium refining nuclear sites and other issues.
Thomas Kleine-Brockhoff, vice president of the German Marshall Fund, said it is expected that Austin’s visit may not solve the actual problems, but will indicate the policy direction of the new U.S. administration.
Austin, who served in the military in Germany, is making his first trip to Germany as U.S. defense secretary, and he is the first official in the new U.S. administration to visit the country in person.
Austin visited Israel and will also visit the United Kingdom, NATO and Brussels, home of the European Union headquarters.
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