“That the German government would even be considering reducing its already unacceptable commitments to military readiness is a worrisome signal to Germany’s 28 NATO Allies.” — US Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell
Germany says it will abandon its NATO spending commitments and invest even less than promised, sparking US anger after Trump criticised European allies for expecting a free ride
- Berlin’s latest budget will see defence spending drop well below two per cent
- Donald Trump has accused Germany of freeloading on U.S. military might
- Washington’s ambassador in Berlin said planned cuts were a ‘worrisome signal’
- But Angela Merkel said Germany would not cut aid to raise its military outlays
By Tim Stickings For Mailonline and Afp, 19 March 2019
Germany’s military spending is set to fall below its NATO targets, in the latest flashpoint in Berlin’s long-running row with Washington.
Story continues below advertisementThe latest German budget plans, revealed on Monday, will see defence spending drop well below the two per cent of GDP expected from NATO members.
U.S. ambassador Richard Grenell said the cuts were a ‘worrisome signal’, while President Donald Trump has repeatedly accused Germany of freeloading on U.S. military might.
But German Chancellor Angela Merkel rejected the U.S. criticism, saying Germany will not cut foreign aid to raise military spending.
U.S. ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell, pictured in Geneva yesterday, said Berlin’s planned defence cuts were a ‘worrisome signal’
Merkel said today that ‘we will continue our effort’ in terms of raising defence spending, ‘but not at the expense of development aid’.
‘We have always said that we’re headed in the direction of two percent, and that by 2024 we will reach 1.5 per cent,’ she said.
‘I can understand that this is not enough for the American President, it’s not enough for many European allies.’
During the 2016 presidential campaign Trump said some NATO allies were ‘getting a free ride’, calling it ‘unfair’.
Germany’s finance ministry had yesterday presented its budget planning for coming years, which signalled a drop.
It said defence spending would first rise to 1.37 percent of gross domestic product in 2020 but then likely fall back to 1.25 percent by 2023.
German Chancellor Angela MerkelU.S. President Donald Trump (left) has repeatedly accused Berlin of freeloading on Washington’s military might but Angela Merkel (right) rejected the American criticism
While German defence spending went up from $45 billion to $50 billion last year, the growing economy meant the figure relative to GDP stayed flat at 1.23 percent.
U.S. Ambassador Richard Grenell – who has criticised Germany on issues from its Iran policy to proposals to use telecom equipment by China’s Huawei – was quick to comment on the projection.
‘NATO members clearly pledged to move towards, not away from, two percent by 2024,’ he said, referring to a goal set at a 2014 alliance summit.
‘That the German government would even be considering reducing its already unacceptable commitments to military readiness is a worrisome signal to Germany’s 28 NATO Allies.’
Grenell’s latest reprimand sparked anger in Berlin.
Social Democratic MP Carsten Schneider labelled Grenell a ‘total diplomatic failure’ and the liberal FDP party’s Wolfgang Kubicki even demanded the envoy be expelled.
In 2018 Washington spent nearly $700 billion on defence, compared with just $280 billion for all the European NATO allies combined.
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We should just drop Germany out of NATO, they’ve already been invaded and lost to islam.
The problem is you can’t defend the countries of Eastern Europe without defending Germany.
The traitorous German politicians know this and are playing on it
Sure you can with the modern tech of today and low yield Neutron munitions.
Why do you believe that you cannot defend the rest of Eastern Europe without defending Germany?
Quite simple because Eastern Europe, for instance Poland, is between Germany and Russia. To defend Poland you are by default defending Germany.
It doesn’t matter if you have troops stationed in Germany. It doesn’t matter if you use low yield neutron munitions or any other high tech weapons. By defending countries to the East of Germany you are defending Germany.
Of course Germany wouldn’t benefit from the spending by friendly forces personnel during peacetime.
Why are we, the United States, still a part of nato? They have been an enemy of the U.S. for too many years. What has happened to “my” old United States…..I don’t even know her any more, let alone like what she is.
No surprise here. Germany was so beaten down by the allies in 1945, that they couldn’t even rebuild themselves. Took the Marshall Plan to do it.
They couldn’t stand the beating they got in WW1, so they went for it again 20 plus years later and with the same result. Only worse. Now 74 years later, they are squirming like a toad under the onslaught of Muslim Immigration. It would not surprise me if they armed their Muslims and made another try for world domination.
I came across these guys and thought it is very telling to see the change in attitudes of PM’s that coincides with the rise of Islam in Europe.
My God! Churchill would be foaming at the mouth over this insanity.
They are getting what they want. The global elites live in a bubble. They are creating a monstrous population that they will not be able to control. The elites deserve whatever happens to them.
Take Cameron’s words and in place of Muslim put in the word Nazi – it is the same effect and drives home Cameron’s insane wilful blindness. Cameron’s lack of common sense shows him to be a liberal a conservative in name only
He was and is a globalist, salivating at any opportunity to lick the boots of Madame Rothschild. His motto “If the Brits are complaining of being pissed on, I’m just not pissing hard enough”
Oh you just know that if Gladstone and Churchill were around today, some little nose drip would be buying eggs. I knew that cameron was a sellout but didn’t know he had uttered such treason.
And to think I wasted 2 years of my Army service, defending that country, about 15 yrs ago! I had lived and worked there, and so, I had wonderful memories of how beautiful that country once was. Today it breaks my heart, knowing it’s been invaded. But it sure confuses me terribly, to think that a leader of a country, doesn’t know, or doesn’t care, of what these “people”, believe in! How can they be so ignorant of what the koran teaches? And so, I have to remember some REAL verses, that really seem to fit perfectly with this subject.
“The alien who is among you shall rise higher and higher and you shall come down lower and lower” (Deuteronomy 28:43)
“Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil….” (Isaiah 5:20)
“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths” (2 Timothy 4:3-4)
Thanks for your service Joan.
Hard to believe what I despicable useless arsehole Cameron is.
The thing is he is not the only one. Practically every MP in the HoC and the HoL think in the same way
And not one, not two, but many leaders of countries are brainless, and don’t have a clue. How can ALL these leaders, be so willfully ignorant?
Australia, Austria, Belgium, Britain, Brussels, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Iceland (look up “Iceland 2040”, they want a million of “them”, by then), Italy, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland
There can be only one answer, of why….
So true.
The quote from Churchill was only partially stated. This was written when he was a very young diplomat (I think, in any event he was living in the middle east:
“How dreadful are the curses which Mohammedanism lays on its votaries! Besides the fanatical frenzy, which is as dangerous in a man as hydrophobia in a dog, there is this fearful fatalistic apathy. The effects are apparent in many countries, improvident habits, slovenly systems of agriculture, sluggish methods of commerce and insecurity of property exist wherever the followers of the Prophet rule or live.
A degraded sensualism deprives this life of its grace and refinement, the next of its dignity and sanctity. The fact that in Mohammedan law every woman must belong to some man as his absolute property, either as a child, a wife or a concubine, must delay the final extinction of slavery until the faith of Islam has ceased to be a great power among men.
Individual Moslems may show splendid qualities, but the influence of the religion paralyzes the social development of those who follow it. No stronger retrograde force exists in the world. Far from being moribund, Mohammedanism is a militant and proselytizing faith. It has already spread throughout Central Africa, raising fearless warriors at every step, and were it not that Christianity is sheltered in the strong arms of science, the science against which it (Islam) has vainly struggled, the civilization of modern Europe might fall, as fell the civilization of ancient Rome.”
Sir Winston Churchill, circa 1910 AD. Sir Winston had it right then and it still is correct.
As long as Turkey, that totalitarian, theocratic, muslum pig’s anus state is a member, who cares? Turkey has already had border skirmishes w/another member of NATO, Greece and unilaterally, and without cause or provocation, invaded, annexed and ethnically cleansed 40% of Cypus. If your allies are totalitarian, fascist, islamic religious apartheid states what does that say about your commitment to things like freedom and liberty?
Pull our forces out of Germany now. Let the Germans learn Russian and Arabic.
Read my mind
President Trump, time to start WITHDRAWING from GERMANY and other EU countries not paying up!
They are getting a free ride. Let Merkel form the EU MUSLIM MILITARY!
Move our military bases to Italy. Let them feel the economic pain.
They wouldn’t even be in NATO if it wasn’t for President Bush 1 (the good Bush).
Bush Senior got the Russians to agree to have Germany join NATO. He was a great negotiator! Clinton or Biden would have given in.
Bye, Felicia!
Its their funeral.
Anyway, they need the money for the EU Army, meant for suppressing dissent inside the EU, as has been the main purpose of many European armies historically, suppressing dissent.
I bet they won’t cut welfare to the Muslim scum that is intent on taking them over. Hell, it would be doing them a favor if Russia invaded them, overthrew the corrupt government and dealt with the Muslims.
Really, it’s time Europe defends itself from now on.
Wow. If the Marshall Plan hadn’t rebuilt West Germany, where would they be? No gratitude. No respect. It is classic German arrogance.
Still the Normans after all these years with dreams of conquest.
And they wouldn’t even be in NATO if it wasn’t for President Bush 1 (the good Bush).
Bush Senior got the Russians to agree to have Germany join NATO.
I wish the Germans would show a little gratitude.
Move American troops and equipment to Hungary Poland, et al, and protect these sane nations from the EU Globalists and their Death Cult army.
Native EU grass roots population is ripe for a Revolution!! (talking controlling powers over the EU states from the current globalist degenerate ruling elites in the pols, or with less polite means…)
Trump can & must trigger that grass root revolt (EU general elections in the end of May 2019!! For starters) by removing all US military presence from Germany to more appreciative / loyal / relevant countries like the Visegrad Group states (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia) / Italy / Greece
Germany MUST feel real life consequences (dramatic degradation of their HLS and a major, negative economic impact) for their insane petulance re energy links to Russia / irrational immigration policies / EU hostility to NATO
Superb Tilt. Great comment.
What did anyone expect? Have to pay for the housing and Wi-Fi for the freeloading invaders and Merkel is supposedly an ex communist so why should she want anything to do with NATO? The world would be far better off without her and her minions.
Oh she still wants NATO but mainly their money.
Fascist Leftist get to a point where their Social Programs (welfare for migrants) sucks their nation dry – they have no money for military or deference and nor for law enforcement. Germany cannot even keep up with criminal complaints of migrant attacks so they simply ignore them and threaten to prosecute victims for Islamophobia if they go to the press.
The EU is running out of money and GDP is going down.
This is why they are trying to suck the UK dry.
GOOD, then pull the MILITARY OUT OF GERMANY AND THEY CAN TAKE CARE OF THEIR MILITARY THEMSELVES! THEN PUT THE TROOPS ON ” OUR BORDERS “!
AMEN to THAT! You think if we can yell hard enough, Trump might hear it? But let’s also bring the troops home, from ALL these muslim countries, that our government is spending trillions of dollars on (from taxpayers money of course)….to make THEM Great Again!
Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen, etc etc…and wait for it….let’s put the military option on the table…for Venezuela!! Imagine, how much money that would save, and be put to good use on the WALL!
Turkey is part of NATO!
Turkey joined back in 1952.
Just wait till Islam takes over a western country like France with NUCLEAR WEAPONS!
How low do you go? Germany is only at 1.1% one of the lowest in Europe and it is the financial engine of the EU !! Given about two years ago a survey of Germans showed 2/3 of Germans would NOT go to the defense of a fellow NATO member under article 5 it is time to say goodbye. Germany also had a $40 Billion surplus but put it to Nord Stream II to make Europe even more dependent on Russian Gas. Long story short it is time to recognize Germany is not a reliable ally and cut the umbilical cord and remove all U.S. Military assets from Germany and place them in, e.g., Poland, The Baltic’s, etc Never mind the Muslim invasion that Merkel has created and the hiding of crime by them from the German Public.
From what I have read Germany does not even have enough rifles Togo to all of its troop and the ones they have does not work all the time.
fine with me if Germany goes their own way.
In 2015 during a NATO exercise a German tank unit was forced to use a broomstick to “illustrate” a gun…
I remember that.
They should have kept the hk g3’s That they had for years they are good rifles
They have I believe 2 1/2 million M1 carbines. Not the Garand but the carbine. But that information needs to be checked. Not sure it is reliable. I know we have been trying to bring those weapons back to the US but of course the democraps are opposed. Felix you have any info on that?
No I had not heard about it but after ww2 the United States armed Germany Italy and Japan with American equipment . I would not mind having a military carbine that is what my dad carried during the war.
Germany started the first two wars. It’s itching to start the TURD world war! Billions will die. This will be the New World Odor.
Germany has no ability to fight another war. If I am not mistaken what nukes France has are under US military control.
Fwance isn’t even a member of NATO and there are no US troops stationed in Fwance.
You are correct. I recall the squabble with DE Gaul ref military in France. De Gaul was a chickenshit bastard. I was under the impression that some French Subs had some nukes at one time but I may be wrong.
Give Germany to Russia or wait until the Muslims take over. Move our military to Poland or another friendly country. Germany has proven to be another brain dead country that depends on our military to protect them.
Germany needs all the money for the hordes of “cultural enrichers” arriving on a daily basis. They will soon or later be controlled militarily by Saudi Arabia or other Muslim countries. They are supplying the Saudis already with all sorts of military equipment. I am just hoping that the Germans will rise up against their despicable treacherous and criminal so called government. Hopefully soon, before it is to late.
Germany was always cozy with the muzzies even during WW11. They had a muzzie defense group armed and trained by Germany.
The largest Waffen-SS division in terms of manpower (but maybe not equipment) was the all muslum Handshar division. This division slaughter 90% of Albania’s Jews and Roma population. I’ve read elements of the Handshar division were among the die-hard defenders of the Fuhrer bunker in Berlin at the bitter end of the Third Reich.
The Ottoman Empire sided with kaiser Wilhelm II during WWI. It’s why they were broken up after the war, freeing Greece, Bulgaria, Egypt, Hungary, Macedonia, Romania, and Jordan from Turkey’s control. Turkey then sided with Hitler during WWII, and are intent on establishing a caliphate now, a second Ottoman empire.
I said in 1976 that it was past time to abandon the part of NATO where we have military bases in Germany. They simply used it as a cash cow charging us for the old buildings we lived in called Concerns, That is the wrong spelling, To charging thousands of dollars if a truck knocked some bark off a tree even though we there to defend them from the USSR. Now time to dump the back stabbing Germans from NATO and pull our troops out of there!!
Bring our troops home!!
The Germans have made a mistake. They see what they perceive as weakness because the media and Democrats got control of congress. What they fail to understand is the American people are behind President Trump.
The worst thing they ever did was to allow Turkey in NATO. Bunch of muzzies
Ah, for the love of bible prophecy, the chess pieces are coming together! Let the tribulation begin!
1. Pull the US military out of Germany.
2. Inform Abdullah Merkel that the are going to have to go at it alone should the inevitable happen.
3. Let Russia know that the western border is theirs for the taking.
Hardly any of the counties in Europe are meeting their financial objectives. We need to be clear with them that we will not cover them forever.
Why would you expect anything less from someone born in East Germany and once worked for the e.german Stasi?
Merkel is a Muslima…
Increase US military presents to WWII levels, as they will need to protect the civilians from Muslim genocide that is coming! In 2016 about 500 rifles were found near a mosque! The German politicians want genocide of Germans to replace them with what they think are easily controlled low IQ Muslims!
They need it for their EU ” Army “.
Canada should have had the fifth permanent seat at the UNSC. Churchill was for it. FDR thought that would make it too ‘English speaking’ and insisted on France. What a difference that would have made.
Canada’s contribution to the Battle of the Atlantic and D Day and after was frankly astonishing. Out of all proportion to its population.
The US should decrease our contribution to the same amount NATO countries are contributing.
Some of us meet the target though I think 2% is far too little. The UK used to spend 3.6% I believe and I would like to see a return to at the very least 3%. The way our prime minister has voted against America and Israel in the UN at every opportunity shames and embarrasses me. She is not representative of the ordinary Brit. Perhaps Trump could introduce some tariff increases on German goods that would make up the difference.
Personally I would like to see a really tight relationship between all the Anglophone nations plus Israel (every Israeli soldier speaks English) with our own Article 5. And if Poland, Hungary, Denmark, perhaps Holland and maybe Finland and Italy would like to tag along so much the better. It might even lead them to consider their membership of the EU. The rest can go to hell.
You make very good points. Thanks for the input.
Merkel is insane.
The Germans need all the money they can get to support all those Muslim terrorists they’re importing and to quash any reporting of rape jihad don’t you know!
So far, everybody below me here have expressed my thoughts as well. Pull our soldiers out and relocate them to another EU country. I know we need bases there to facilitate missions in that part of the world, but it does not have to be Germany. Besides, Merkel loves muslims. Let them protect Germany.
To further drive home the point, the report also looks at “deprived” people with xenophobic attitudes
compared to “privileged” ones. Schröder discovered that a privileged person had a statistically insig-
nificant 2.2 percent higher chance of sympathizing with the populists. https://www.dw.com/en/who-votes-for-germanys-far-right-party-afd-not-who-youd-think/a-47793722
The US should abandon NATO. IT’s already lost and destroyed by the subhuman migrants they allowed in.
When the Russians come again, don’t look to NATO or America for help. Idiots.
Merkel’s from East Germany and never depended on our aid anyway, nor cared about NATO, as her country was in the Warsaw Pact
Still is apparently.
No biggie. As the Muslims continue to invade from the Middle East, Afghanistan, and Africa, they’re on their own!