'It's complicated', German minister says of ties with US after Trump's move to withdraw troops
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Foreign Minister Heiko Maas acknowledged problems in Germany's relationship with the US.
PHOTO: REUTERS
BERLIN (REUTERS) - Germany's relationship with the United States is "complicated", Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said in a newspaper interview, regretting the planned withdrawal of US soldiers from Germany.
US President Donald Trump has ordered the US military to remove 9,500 troops from Germany, a senior US official said on Friday (June 5).
"Should it come to the withdrawal of part of the US troops, we take note of this. We appreciate the cooperation with the US forces that has developed over decades. It is in the interests of both our countries," Mr Maas told Bild am Sonntag.
Mr Maas acknowledged problems in Germany's relationship with the US, saying: "We are close partners in the transatlantic alliance. But: It is complicated."
On Saturday, senior lawmakers from German Chancellor Angela Merkel's ruling conservative bloc criticised Mr Trump's decision to order the US military to remove 9,500 troops from Germany.
A US official, who did not want to be identified, said on Friday the troops move was the result of months of work by the top US military officer, General Mark Milley, and had nothing to do with tensions between Mr Trump and Mrs Merkel, who thwarted Mr Trump's plan to host a Group of Seven meeting this month.
