Trump Surprises Germany With Plan to Withdraw 9,500 U.S. Troops
- Merkel given no warning amid growing tensions with U.S.
- Planned pullout would leave U.S. with 25,000 troops in Germany
Photographer: Christof Stache/AFP via Getty Images
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German Chancellor Angela Merkel was caught off guard by U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to pull 9,500 U.S. troops out of Germany by September.
The government wasn’t officially notified by the U.S. about Trump’s plan, and it has so far only found out about the matter from media reports, a German government official said on Saturday, declining to comment further.