cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/39664905
Lieutenant General Christian Freuding fears the longstanding military partnership between the two allies is unravelling under President Trump’s administration
The Pentagon has “cut off contact” between American defence officials and their German counterparts, according to the head of Germany’s army.
The United States has traditionally treated Germany as one of its most important European allies. It is thought to have about 35,000 soldiers stationed at German bases such as Ramstein and Stuttgart, which serve as staging posts for American operations across Africa and the Middle East.
Since President Trump’s return to power in January, the relationship between the countries has become markedly cooler.
The US has over 700 bases in 80 countries. Countries “invite” them in just like countries “willingly” use the dollar for international trade. Its structural dependancy by an imperial power. The British did the same thing 150 years ago.
Although with Trump’s shenanigans, US dollar is gradually losing its value.
Many countries consciously outsource defense to the US, so that they could invest in their own people instead. A clear evidence of this attitude is when Spain expressed hesitancy to increase their defense budget. Obama has a point that EU has been “free riding”. However, the way Trump makes US allies to “pull their weight” is more coercive than diplomatic.