[Eddies66]

Originally Posted by SStockDart

Short memories about Trump pulling out of NATO. The USA was contributing 4% of our gross domestic product to NATO. Germany was 1%. Other European members less or zero. Trump made a comment that we might as well pull out. Use this comparison. You have a local union and you are paying $10 million in dues and all other union members are paying $2 million and they want the same protection. Would you call these other countries scabs or slice tires.
At this same time Putin commented that Ukraine was one of the most corrupt countries in the world. That is the same time VP Biden threatened withholding billions unless they fired someone.
Trump Discussed Pulling U.S. From NATO, Aides Say Amid New Concerns Over Russia

Trump Discussed Pulling U.S. From NATO, Aides Say Amid New Concerns Over Russia

The number of United States military personnel in Europe was 63,853 in 2021, compared with 62,338 in the previous year. America's military presence in Europe fell considerably after the end of the Cold War, falling from 315,225 troops in 1989, to 107,158 by 1995. I can't image what it would cost to maintain 315,000 troops in Europe today. We have troops and families living in Europe, of course we are a pampered military with commissary, exchanges, chow halls, DOD schools/Teachers, R&R Centers, hospitals, churches, golf courses, the list goes and we pay for all of this, not the host country, under a SOFA agreement. Most European military are small in comparison to what we have deployed there. They have small active duty and large reserve with France and Germany barely cracking the 100,000 mark of active duty personnel. then you compare that they are up against, 1.3 million Russian Army. I think Europe will come to the realization that Russia is a paper tiger and not the threat they thought they were. So why are we paying more, we pay our troops more, our equipment costs more, they are forward deployed with families, and each base is a little America.