Lieutenant General Christian Freuding fears the longstanding military partnership between the two allies is unravelling under President Trump’s administration

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/39664905

Lieutenant General Christian Freuding fears the longstanding military partnership between the two allies is unravelling under President Trump’s administration

The Pentagon has “cut off contact” between American defence officials and their German counterparts, according to the head of Germany’s army.

The United States has traditionally treated Germany as one of its most important European allies. It is thought to have about 35,000 soldiers stationed at German bases such as Ramstein and Stuttgart, which serve as staging posts for American operations across Africa and the Middle East.

Since President Trump’s return to power in January, the relationship between the countries has become markedly cooler.

    • Tollana1234567@lemmy.todayEnglish
      6·
      2 days ago

      isolating the USA so they cant intefere in eastern europe, and former soviet states. Also delaying or stopping the adoption of green energy, which will hurt RUSSIA in the long run,

    • Ferrous@lemmy.mlEnglish
      434·
      2 days ago

      If Trump is a Russian asset, why didnt the US pull out of NATO months ago? Why did Mueller’s report conclude that there was no collusion between Trump’s campaign and Russia?

      If Russia is blamed for Trump’s election, we avoid the unpleasant reality of our failed democratic institutions and decaying empire. We avoid facing the inevitable rise of a Christianised fascism borne out of widespread impoverishment, rage, despair and abandonment. We avoid acknowledging the complicity of the Democratic Party in the orchestration of the largest social inequality in our nation’s history, the evisceration of our basic civil liberties, endless wars and an electoral system bankrolled by the billionaire class, which is legalised bribery. The myth allows us to believe that Democratic politicians, like the establishment Republicans who have joined them, are the guarantors of a democracy they destroyed.

      All the investigations into Trump’s ties with Russia are unequivocal. There was no collusion. The Steele dossier, financed at first by Republican opponents of Trump and later by Hillary Clinton’s campaign, and compiled by former MI6 British intelligence officer, Christopher Steele, was a fake. The charges in the dossier — which included reports of Trump receiving a ‘golden shower’ from prostituted women in a Moscow hotel room and claims that Trump and the Kremlin had ties going back five years — were discredited by the FBI. Sources, including the one that claimed Trump had long-held ties to the Kremlin, turned out to be fabricated. Special Counsel Robert S Mueller concluded that his investigation ‘did not establish that members of the Trump Campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities.’ Mueller did not indict or accuse anyone of criminally conspiring with Russia.

      • Chris Hedges
        • Ferrous@lemmy.mlEnglish
          311·
          2 days ago

          because it is easier to disturb operations from within the organisation.

          And what disturbances do you mean? NATO spending has exploded in recent years. Last year NATO allies increased spending by 18%. Why would a Russian asset set about a plan that drastically increases the funding for Russia’s primary enemy? Why is Trump’s whole schtick that Europe needs to start spending more on defense?

          Why would Putin kick off the Ukraine war immediately after his “agent” leaves office?

          Why, in his first term, was Trump commanding Germany and EU to stop buying Russian gas? Going so far as to sanction comoanies involved with the Nordstream pipeline?

          Meanwhile, in 2018, the US expelled more than 60 Russian officials after identifying them as intelligence officers. To put it bluntly, any gains Russia might have achieved through Trump’s good offices are far outweighed by the strategic, economic, and counterintelligence realities that have emerged during his presidency.

          But any Russian intelligence officer would need to consider whether Trump really cares enough about kompromat and Russian money. Indeed, why enrol him as an agent of influence – a move that carries enormous consequences for both parties – when Russia could opt for a convenient friend in Washington?

          In reality, even if Russia sees Trump as an asset, we’re not talking about Trump being a new Kim Philby (of Cambridge Five fame). We’re talking about Trump being a self-interested businessman who’s happy to do a favour if it works to his own best interests – and that includes staying out of jail. There’s no evidence that Trump knowingly associated with any Russian intelligence officers. And there’s a big distinction between making the wrong kind of friends and committing treason.

          https://www.aber.ac.uk/en/news/archive/2021/02/title-240459-en.html

          Collusion/conspiracy/coordinate… just semantics.

          [Mueller] did not establish that members of the Trump Campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities.

          Trump is not a Russian asset. He’s an easily-manipulated businessman who does things in his own self interest, and that is as American as apple pie. There is no need to invoke Putin. Our descent into Christian Fascism is our own doing - one that Russia no doubt took advantage of. If you truly believe Trump is a Russian asset, then you have to concede that the FBI, the CIA, the NSA, and the Five Eyes have all been captured by Russia as well.

          • jj4211@lemmy.worldEnglish
            1·
            1 day ago

            And what disturbances do you mean?

            This very article seems to be a prime example. Yes, NATO spending is up, and because of Russia conducting a violent unprovoked invasion of a sovereign territory in their area, and a general reduction in confidence that they can rely on USA and must fend for themselves. Trump’s schtick is mostly ‘America shouldn’t help so much, fend for yourself’. Even with somewhat elevated spending, would that offset the loss of capability that would come with the US just failing to live up to their NATO obligations when the time came?

            Why would Putin kick off the Ukraine war immediately after his “agent” leaves office?

            Because things were going to be as good as he could get them and the best opportunity was before the new administration could reverse course? In the most favorable Russia outcome, Trump might have followed through on threats to further reduce NATO contributions, but with Trump gone and a more NATO-friendly admin in place, things were going to get worse for Putin before they could get better. I vaguely recall some non-US situations that similarly could have greased the wheels for an easier annexation of Ukraine, so it’s not like the US is the only factor in such timing anyway, but don’t recall what specifics made me think of that.

            Trump is not a Russian asset. He’s an easily-manipulated businessman

            I will agree that it’s not a straightforward “Trump is a Russian agent”, but an “asset” is not an agent. He’s a convenient “friend” that is easily manipulated/bribed. He doesn’t have loyalty or anything like that to Putin, but he is plainly easy to manipulate, and Putin’s circle has been consistently in position to do that manipulation for decades. Others may be no saints, but Trump is comparitively easier to mess with because of just being terrible at the things he purports to be good at.

          • pinheadednightmare@lemmy.worldEnglish
            14·
            2 days ago

            “If you truly believe Trump is a Russian asset, then you have to concede that the FBI, the CIA, the NSA, and the Five Eyes have all been captured by Russia as well.”

            Would not surprise me. Of course at this point, it is a conspiracy theory, but too many things tie Trump to Russia in the 80s and 90s. I think that is when it started. It’s been a slow roll since then and trumps mismanage of his assets, over time, has put him in a position that he owes the oligarchs of Russia a lot money or favors. As a matter of fact, the conspiracy theory suggest Melanie Trump, origanally from a Russian controlled territory, was forced to marry trump to keep him in line.

            • Doomsider@lemmy.worldEnglish
              5·
              2 days ago

              Conspiracy theories are outlandish. Everything points to the fact that the majority of GOP was bought off by Russia. Pretending that just Trump is compromised is the only “conspiracy theory”.

      • NimaMag@lemmy.mlEnglish
        39·
        2 days ago

        People also like to ignore that Trump armed Ukraine with Javelins during his first presidency.

        I don’t see a Russian asset doing this.

        • Doomsider@lemmy.worldEnglish
          9·
          2 days ago

          People also like to ignore Trump tried to blackmail Ukraine into investigating his political rival for which he got an impeachment for.

          Trump should not have any say whatsoever in anything related to the Ukraine.

          It is staggering he could even be elected after this, but for Congress not to protect Ukraine from a straight up criminal is unconscionable.

          • NimaMag@lemmy.mlEnglish
            11·
            2 days ago

            I’m more than aware that the orange buffoon betrayed Ukraine after Ukraine raised objections to helping Trump find dirt on Biden.

            But that two major arms sales to Ukraine were approved under his presidency at all is proof that Trump isn’t taking orders from Putin.

            • Doomsider@lemmy.worldEnglish
              3·
              2 days ago

              The whole GOP is up Russia’s ass unless you missed the whole Orwellian Russia is good Ukraine is bad rhetoric they desperately want the public to accept.

              Listen, the US sells arms. It is a purveyor of death with business people playing both ends making money off of human death. This is not proof Trump is friendly to Ukraine it is a business transaction.

              The truth is his apparatus (who really run things) have been brazenly hostile to the Ukraine. It is literally a game to see how much they can get away with. All while the innocents on both sides die.

              I am absolutely astonished on how far low the US government can stoop. They have always been horrible, but when they take the mask off you see how truly disgusting the charade is.

        • Salamanderwizard@lemmy.worldEnglish
          61·
          2 days ago

          Oh, wee, so cool. If he had supplied em with more than just that, Russia’s aggression would’ve been pushed back.

          Do you two think that being a asset/,spy/double agent means you also don’t do things to make you look less suspicious?

          If he pulled out of Nato too soon, it wouldn’t look good. He made it into a show. Gave it reasons to be done.

          Oh, he gave some Javs? That at most just slowed down the Russians? Ya, if he would have given them tanks, Helicopters, jets, and supplies, the Russians would’ve been beaten back.

          It’s called making a scene. He’s being told what he can and can’t do. The only saving grace is that Russia is obviously overconfident, and they all believe they are some unstoppable force.

          Ukraine has made do with what they got and have proven Russians are nothing but Brutes.

          I guarantee dollars to doughnuts if we take out Russia. I mean, destroyed them, Putin turned into a red mist, and all that followed him the same. Trumps whole thing would fall apart.

          • Ferrous@lemmy.mlEnglish
            25·
            2 days ago

            Do you two think that being a asset/,spy/double agent means you also don’t do things to make you look less suspicious?

            Why would Trump/Putin be afraid of looking suspicious? I thought yalls whole thing was that Trump’s status as a Russian spy is clear as day and known to all.

          • NimaMag@lemmy.mlEnglish
            26·
            2 days ago

            Trump could have easily not gave Javelins to the Ukrainians as not even Obama gave lethal aid to Ukraine!! This alone makes your assertion of him merely trying to avoid suspicion, untenable.