US freezes Germany troop withdrawal, ends support for Yemen war

Washington, Feb 5 : US President Joe Biden said that he was freezing troop withdrawal from Germany and ending the country’s support for offensive operations in the Yemen conflict.
In his first major foreign policy speech since taking office on January 20, Biden on Thursday outlined his foreign policy vision focused on diplomacy, alliance, multi-lateralism, and values, standing in contrast with his predecessor Donald Trump’s “America First” approach, reports Xinhua news agency.
Biden in the speech also unveiled several policy changes regarding the Yemen conflict, US forces posture in Germany, and refugee issues.
He said that Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin would initiate a global forces posture review to ensure that US military footprint is appropriately aligned with foreign policy and national security priorities.
“And while this review is taking place, we’ll be stopping any planned troop withdrawal from Germany,” he said.
The former Trump administration announced a repositioning plan for nearly 12,000 US troops stationed in Germany last summer, a controversial move that drew criticism from home and abroad.