Australia, under pressure from China, will be dismayed by the United States decision to pull almost 10,000 soldiers out of Germany, Professor Robert Patman says. The international relations specialist told Global Insight that US president Donald Trump’s sudden decision to withdraw troops stationed in Germany is the latest in a series of moves that are making many US allies feel the superpower is increasingly unpredictable and unreliable. "Many countries allied to the United States believe the US is conducting itself, under Mr Trump, in a way that is benefiting both Russian and Chinese interests," the University of Otago professor said. That will include Australia, which has seen itself as the Americans’ closest ally, and is in an increasingly tense stoush with the world’s other superpower, China. And Germany, which has three ongoing investigations into apparent Russian interference in German and Central European affairs.

Source: Otago Daily Times June 18, 2020 16:30 UTC