Claiming they ‘don’t want to be suckers anymore’, President Trump has planned to removed troops from Germany after it failed to meet NATO targets.
Trump claims that Germany was taking advantage of the US by not spending 2% of GDP (total value of goods and services in a country) on defence, which is the NATO target. Many other countries in NATO also do not meet his target. This led to him withdrawing forces, which many allies see as a blow to NATO itself. This has come after he announced the plan in June.
However, many troops will be moved to Belgium and Italy, which spend less on defence than Berlin. The move will also cost billions of dollars, with new military construction needed to house the troops, as well as redeploy them to other European countries.
The plan has also come under fire because many believe it will encourage Russia to act. German officials have criticised the move, as they believe it will weaken the NATO alliance. Republicans and Democrats have both spoken out against it as well, showing the plan to be unsupported by those in and out of the White House.
Anna Male
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