Bavaria slams U.S. decision to withdraw troops from Germany

Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Soeder on Wednesday criticised the U.S. decision to withdraw about 12,000 troops from Germany, adding that Germany still hoped the next U.S. administration would scrap the plan. "We are now waiting to see if the decision will last," Soeder said in reference to the U.S. presidential election in November.

Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Soeder on Wednesday criticised the U.S. decision to withdraw about 12,000 troops from Germany, adding that Germany still hoped the next U.S. administration would scrap the plan. "We very much regret the U.S. government's decision. Unfortunately, this puts a burden on the German-American relationship," Markus Soeder said.

He added that the U.S. troop withdrawal served no clear military purpose, and would even weaken the NATO alliance and the United States itself. "We are now waiting to see if the decision will last," Soeder said in reference to the U.S. presidential election in November.