The leaders of four German states wrote to Congress asking for a halt to Washington’s troop withdrawal plan from the country, Reuters reported Sunday.
The premiers of the four states—all of which have U.S. bases—addressed their letters to 13 members of Congress, including Sens. Mitt Romney (R., Utah) and Jim Inhofe (R., Okla.). Inhofe chairs the Armed Services Committee, while Romney is a leading member of the Foreign Relations Committee.
“We therefore ask you to support us as we strive not to sever the bond of friendship but to strengthen it, and to secure the U.S. presence in Germany and Europe in the future,” the ministers of Bavaria, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Hesse wrote.
The German officials wrote that the troops “form the backbone of the U.S. presence in Europe and NATO’s ability to act.”
Current plans offered by President Donald Trump would cut back the U.S. military presence in Germany by 9,500 troops, reducing the total American footprint to 25,000. The White House proposed the drawback in troops after citing a one-sided relationship on trade and defense spending. – READ MORE
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