US will base 500 additional troops in Germany, minister tells Berlin
“We have ceased planning (for a troop drawdown),” Austin said at a news conference with his German counterpart Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer on Tuesday
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin attends a bilateral meeting with his Japanese counterpart Defence Minister Nobuo Kishi (not in picture) at Defence Ministry in Tokyo, Japan March 16, 2021. REUTERS/Issei Kato/Pool/Files
The United States will deploy an additional 500 troops to Germany, Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin said during a visit to Berlin, marking a reversal of former President Donald Trump's plans to withdraw about 12,000 troops from the NATO country.
"We have ceased planning (for a troop drawdown)," Austin said at a news conference with his German counterpart Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer on Tuesday.
"I think our assignment of an additional 500 troops speaks to the level of our partnership and our commitment to NATO," he added.
