TRUMP WARNED AGAINST CUTTING U.S. TROOPS

BRUSSELS/BERLIN The NATO secretary general tried to dampen fears Tuesday that the United States would pull thousands of troops out of Germany as the alliance faces an increasingly belligerent Russia.

“It’s not yet decided how and when this decision will be implemented,” Jens Stoltenberg said in Brussels, after U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed reports of a cut of more than 9,000 troops, down from 34,000 to around 25,000.

“The U.S. presence in Europe is not only about protecting Europe, but it’s also about protecting U.S. power beyond Europe,” he said he told the U.S. president. Trump branded Germany, a NATO ally, “delinquent” on Monday for not meeting a goal set in 2014 for members to halt cuts.