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STUTTGART, Germany -- President Donald Trump on Saturday demanded that Berlin increase financial support to pay for the "protection" the U.S. military provides to NATO ally Germany.
Trump, one day after meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Washington, took to Twitter on Saturday to blast the longtime U.S. ally for not investing enough in NATO and not doling more dollars to Washington directly.
"Germany owes vast sums of money to NATO & the United States must be paid more for the powerful, and very expensive, defense it provides to Germany!" Trump tweeted.
Trump frequently scolds allies, including Germany, for not investing enough in their own defense and demands that NATO members pay their fair share.
On Saturday, Trump took his criticisms a step further by essentially saying that he now wants the U.S. to be paid more for the "defense it provides to Germany." This is his clearest demand yet that not only should Germany spend more on its own defense, it should pay more directly to the U.S. for its contributions to Europe's security.
Germany is the centerpiece of the U.S. military's force structure in Europe, hosting the majority of U.S. troops and major bases like Ramstein Air Base. The headquarters for U.S. European and Africa Commands, as well as Europe-focused Army, Air Force and Marine headquarters, also operate out of Germany -- along with a mix of line and enabling units.
However, unlike Japan and South Korea, both of which pay about half the expense of hosting U.S. forces, Germany picks up a much smaller portion of the tab. Not only does Germany pay less -- about $1 billion, or 18 percent of the overall cost -- most of the funds come in the form of in-kind services rather than hard cash, according to a 2013 analysis by the Rand Corp.
Such discrepancies are unlikely to go unnoticed by Trump, who already has complained about Germany's sizable trade advantage with the U.S. Berlin also has an overall budget surplus of some $25 billion.
Since Russia's intervention in Ukraine, the Pentagon has spent billions of dollars on adding rotational forces to augment its forward-based troops in Europe, sending in an Army armored brigade, combat aviation assets and prepositioned tanks and other equipment. This year's European Reassurance Initiative costs roughly $3.4 billion.
Allies also have increased spending on their own defense in light of concerns about a more aggressive Russia and are taking part in operations in the Baltics.
The issue of military spending is likely to dominate talks between NATO members in the months ahead. While Merkel has said Germany will meet the 2 percent NATO spending benchmark, Berlin is years away from reaching that mark. It isn't clear if there is the political will in Berlin to reach the target faster.
The debate about "fair share" has centered on NATO's own defense spending guidelines that call for allies to dedicate at least 2 percent of their respective GDPs to military matters. Germany, along with all but five of NATO's 28-member states, has long fallen far short of the 2 percent target.
Technically, however, Trump is wrong when he says Germany owes "vast sums" to NATO.
The NATO alliance does not have membership fees. NATO as an alliance amounts to the collective military capabilities of its respective members. So when some allies underinvest in defense, NATO is theoretically weaker or more dependent on American military muscle and deemed by critics as security "free riders."
In Brussels last month, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis warned NATO members that the U.S. could "moderate" its support for the alliance if members don't commit more to defense spending.
@ SMSgt Minister Gerald A. Thomas Capt Christopher MuellerCOL Mikel J. BurroughsSgt Joe LaBrancheSSgt (Join to see)Capt Seid WaddellSrA Christopher Wright LTC Stephen F.PO2 Ed C. SFC(P) Hercules Lobo MSG Tom EarleyPVT James Strait Alan K. PO1 William "Chip" NagelSGT John " Mac " McConnell SFC William Farrell LTC (Join to see) SPC Britanny *Winnie* Balthaser SSgt Robert Marx SFC (Join to see)
Trump, one day after meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Washington, took to Twitter on Saturday to blast the longtime U.S. ally for not investing enough in NATO and not doling more dollars to Washington directly.
"Germany owes vast sums of money to NATO & the United States must be paid more for the powerful, and very expensive, defense it provides to Germany!" Trump tweeted.
Trump frequently scolds allies, including Germany, for not investing enough in their own defense and demands that NATO members pay their fair share.
On Saturday, Trump took his criticisms a step further by essentially saying that he now wants the U.S. to be paid more for the "defense it provides to Germany." This is his clearest demand yet that not only should Germany spend more on its own defense, it should pay more directly to the U.S. for its contributions to Europe's security.
Germany is the centerpiece of the U.S. military's force structure in Europe, hosting the majority of U.S. troops and major bases like Ramstein Air Base. The headquarters for U.S. European and Africa Commands, as well as Europe-focused Army, Air Force and Marine headquarters, also operate out of Germany -- along with a mix of line and enabling units.
However, unlike Japan and South Korea, both of which pay about half the expense of hosting U.S. forces, Germany picks up a much smaller portion of the tab. Not only does Germany pay less -- about $1 billion, or 18 percent of the overall cost -- most of the funds come in the form of in-kind services rather than hard cash, according to a 2013 analysis by the Rand Corp.
Such discrepancies are unlikely to go unnoticed by Trump, who already has complained about Germany's sizable trade advantage with the U.S. Berlin also has an overall budget surplus of some $25 billion.
Since Russia's intervention in Ukraine, the Pentagon has spent billions of dollars on adding rotational forces to augment its forward-based troops in Europe, sending in an Army armored brigade, combat aviation assets and prepositioned tanks and other equipment. This year's European Reassurance Initiative costs roughly $3.4 billion.
Allies also have increased spending on their own defense in light of concerns about a more aggressive Russia and are taking part in operations in the Baltics.
The issue of military spending is likely to dominate talks between NATO members in the months ahead. While Merkel has said Germany will meet the 2 percent NATO spending benchmark, Berlin is years away from reaching that mark. It isn't clear if there is the political will in Berlin to reach the target faster.
The debate about "fair share" has centered on NATO's own defense spending guidelines that call for allies to dedicate at least 2 percent of their respective GDPs to military matters. Germany, along with all but five of NATO's 28-member states, has long fallen far short of the 2 percent target.
Technically, however, Trump is wrong when he says Germany owes "vast sums" to NATO.
The NATO alliance does not have membership fees. NATO as an alliance amounts to the collective military capabilities of its respective members. So when some allies underinvest in defense, NATO is theoretically weaker or more dependent on American military muscle and deemed by critics as security "free riders."
In Brussels last month, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis warned NATO members that the U.S. could "moderate" its support for the alliance if members don't commit more to defense spending.
@ SMSgt Minister Gerald A. Thomas Capt Christopher MuellerCOL Mikel J. BurroughsSgt Joe LaBrancheSSgt (Join to see)Capt Seid WaddellSrA Christopher Wright LTC Stephen F.PO2 Ed C. SFC(P) Hercules Lobo MSG Tom EarleyPVT James Strait Alan K. PO1 William "Chip" NagelSGT John " Mac " McConnell SFC William Farrell LTC (Join to see) SPC Britanny *Winnie* Balthaser SSgt Robert Marx SFC (Join to see)
Trump Demands Germany Pay for US Protection
Posted from military.comPosted in these groups: 
Germany
Office of the President (POTUS)
Germany Office of the President (POTUS)
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 10
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Love the idea- NATO partners need to carry more of the burden. Ideas and reality are light years apart however SP5 Mark Kuzinski
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Doesn't Germany still owe us for rebuilding their country twice in the same century..maybe they should just put their "mark" where there mouth is, in other words "shut up and color."
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SPC John Parmenter
CSM Charles Hayden - Agreed! But the Germans traded their Marks for Euros a while back.
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Capt Jeff S.
That's all well and good... a nice history refresher and Germany can pay more for their protection. Now they are paying the price for their political correctness and it will be just a matter of time before we are back over in Europe cleaning up the mess they made by trying to prove they aren't racist Muslim haters...
My gut tells me that a wave of violence is going to be unleashed in Europe and it will start in France and spread to other countries that are tired of being used by the hordes invading that reallyaren't refugees but rather invaders hell bent on conquering Europe via a war of the womb.
My gut tells me that a wave of violence is going to be unleashed in Europe and it will start in France and spread to other countries that are tired of being used by the hordes invading that reallyaren't refugees but rather invaders hell bent on conquering Europe via a war of the womb.
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They are supposed to pay 2 percent of there GDP. And some only pay 1 percent or less.
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PO1 Brian Austin
Correct! Only 5 members pay 2% of GDP according to agreement, in proportional order....US, Greece, UK, Poland and Estonia.
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