Because Biden will raise the US contingent in Germany
The new American Defense Minister, Lloyd Austin, brought the Germans not only the cancellation of the Trumpian measure to reduce the US contingent in Germany but even its strengthening. The in-depth study by Pierluigi Mennitti from Berlin
The United States does not leave, on the contrary, they double, or almost double. In his first visit to Berlin, the new American Defense Minister Lloyd Austin brought as a dowry to the Germans not only the cancellation of the Trumpian measure to reduce the US contingent in Germany but even its strengthening. An additional 500 soldiers will join the 35,000 currently present, while the 12,000 who had almost the suitcases in hand, probably ready to move to Poland, will be able to store their luggage in the lockers. Reinforcements are expected to arrive in the autumn and be placed in the Wiesbaden area in Hesse.
This is a real surprise, although even the German government had not missed the change of tone of the new administration on this issue. The rethinking of Trump's decision was somehow expected, the increase in the military contingent was not. But it was not just Joe Biden's different attitude towards Berlin that shuffled the cards, but the worsening of tensions on the Eastern front and the different attitude towards Russia.
In the press conference with his German namesake Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer , Austin used aggressive language to explain the choice to maintain and increase the contingent in Germany: "These troops will strengthen the potential for intimidation and defense in Europe, soldiers are sent in Germany to avoid conflict and, if necessary, to fight and win, ”he said.
If they are not Cold War tones, they are certainly strong statements, which for some time had not been used on European soil. But Washington has returned to monitor with concern the situation on the eastern border of the EU (and NATO). According to the White House, it was since 2014 that Russia had not deployed so many soldiers and vehicles on the border with Ukraine. The Russians explain the move with the need to protect the Russian population in the Donbass, but the tension is high and will remain so in the coming months, even if an escalation is to be avoided.
Also for this reason the troops remain in Germany, where the US logistic device is run in and tested. It is not yet known what kind of qualification the soldiers will have on arrival, but it was leaked from the conference that with the decision to maintain and increase the number of soldiers in Germany, the forces for cyber-defense and electronic warfare will be strengthened.
Minister Austin went so far as to praise German economic efforts to increase its financial contribution to NATO spending, the point Donald Trump had pressed to threaten and then justify the displacement of troops from German territory.
Berlin pretends to believe the good taxpayer's story. Kramp-Karrenbauer was satisfied with the American recognition, testimony that Berlin has taken seriously the American requests to increase its defense budget, which has grown in recent years and which will grow further, even if it will still be far from the desired 2% threshold. from Washington. "A strong sign of union", said the German minister, who then assured that everything will be done so that "the soldiers and their families feel like a second home for the time they stay in Germany".
Even in the post-Cold War world, Germany – a former frontier between the spheres of influence of the two old superpowers – remains a fundamental hub for the stationing of American troops in Europe. It is also a source of economic wealth, for the country in general and especially for the Länder that host the barracks. The total number of soldiers present is 35,000, and as mentioned, 500 will be added in the autumn. But to evaluate the entire economic and social impact of the US military presence on the local realities that host them, we must also add 17,000 US civilians and 12,000 German civilians committed to support. Particularly strategic is the base in Ramstein, in Rhineland-Palatinate, from which almost all military transport to Iraq and Afghanistan is sorted, to which is added the almost neighboring hospital of Landstuhl, where wounded soldiers are operated and treated. precisely in the Iraqi and Afghan missions. There are also smaller bases, operating in southern Germany, from which US missions in Africa are managed.
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/mondo/perche-biden-fara-lievitare-il-contingente-usa-in-germania/ on Wed, 14 Apr 2021 06:05:51 +0000.