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The US is "studying and reviewing" whether to reduce the thousands of troops it has stationed in Germany, President Donald Trump has announced via social media. NATO vokser denne fredag frem som et av temaene som tiltrekker seg oppmerksomhet i Norway.

Fakta

• The US is "studying and reviewing" whether to reduce the thousands of troops it has stationed in Germany, President Donald Trump has announced via social media.
• In 2020, a proposal to move 12,000 US troops from Germany either to other Nato countries in Europe or back to the US, was blocked by Congress and then reversed by President Joe Biden.
• At the time, Trump had accused Germany of being "delinquent" because its military spending was well below Nato's target of 2% of economic output (GDP).
• Over the past two months, the US president has repeatedly threatened to withdraw from the 32-member Nato alliance, calling it a "paper tiger" and a "one-way street".
• His remarks come after the German chancellor criticised the US approach to the war in Iran.

Det vi vet

I detalj, In 2020, a proposal to move 12,000 US troops from Germany either to other Nato countries in Europe or back to the US, was blocked by Congress and then reversed by President Joe Biden.

Konkret, At the time, Trump had accused Germany of being "delinquent" because its military spending was well below Nato's target of 2% of economic output (GDP).

I tillegg Over the past two months, the US president has repeatedly threatened to withdraw from the 32-member Nato alliance, calling it a "paper tiger" and a "one-way street".

Det er verdt å merke seg at his remarks come after the German chancellor criticised the US approach to the war in Iran.

På dette stadiet Asked whether he would also consider pulling US troops from Nato allies Italy and Spain, Trump responded: "I probably will - look, why shouldn't I?

Tallene

I detalj, the US has a significant military presence in Germany, with more than 36,000 active duty troops assigned to bases across the country as of last December.

Konkret, Germany, along with the UK and France, was part of a 2015 deal with Iran to limit its nuclear operations, although Trump pulled the US out of the agreement in 2018.

I tillegg the US military deployment in Germany is by far its biggest in Europe, with about 12,000 troops in Italy and a further 10,000 in the UK.

Det er verdt å merke seg at But that has changed dramatically under the Merz government: Germany is projected to spend €105.8bn (£91bn) in 2027 - with total defence expenditure next year set to reach 3.1% of GDP.

Hva som sies

“The United States is studying and reviewing the possible reduction of Troops in Germany, with a determination to be made over the next short period of time,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform Wednesday night.

“The whole affair is ill-considered to say the least,” he said, while emphasizing Berlin’s desire for the war to end as soon as possible. “At the moment, I cannot see what strategic exit the Americans are now opting for.”

“From my perspective, my personal relationship with the US president remains good,” Merz told reporters, while highlighting the negative impact the war is having on Germany’s economy and energy supplies.

Bakgrunnen

Det er verdt å merke seg at Merz made no mention of Trump's comments during a visit to German soldiers in northern Germany on Thursday, although he went out of his way to stress the importance of the Nato defensive alliance and "transatlantic solidarity".

På dette stadiet However, while Merz has this week complained of the economic consequences for Europe of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, Trump has been angered by the response of Nato allies in Europe to the war in Iran.

I detalj, Earlier in April, a leaked internal Pentagon email detailed potential measures for the US to punish allies it believed had failed to support its campaign in Iran, including a suggestion that the US could seek to suspend Spain from Nato over its stance.

Konkret, a Nato official told the BBC that the alliance's founding treaty "does not foresee any provision for suspension of Nato membership, or expulsion".

I tillegg Katya Adler: Europe's Nato allies push back at reported US threat to Spain.

Oppsummering

• His remarks come after the German chancellor criticised the US approach to the war in Iran.
• A Nato official told the BBC that the alliance's founding treaty "does not foresee any provision for suspension of Nato membership, or expulsion".
• The US has a significant military presence in Germany, with more than 36,000 active duty troops assigned to bases across the country as of last December.
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