German govt: Will comment on U.S. troop withdrawal plans once we get confirmation

The German government is waiting for official comment from Washington on U.S. plans to withdraw some troops from Germany and Berlin will only comment once it has that, a spokesman said on Monday. "There has not been official, public confirmation and so we are not commenting on media reports. Rather, we are waiting for information - when there is official information, we can comment," German government spokesman Steffen Seibert said.

A spokesman for the Foreign Ministry said close cooperation with the United States in NATO and with other NATO partners was key for Germany's security. U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered the U.S. military to remove 9,500 troops from Germany, a senior U.S. official said on Friday.