The new US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth visited Europe for the first time and inspected the US commands EUCOM and AFRICOM in Stuttgart. In a brief press briefing, he emphasized that for the time being no US troops would be withdrawn for the time being (-> US President Donald Trump had only recently threatened to withdraw 20,000 troops from Europe), that the first deployment under his leadership would be on the US southern border and that strategic competition with China, particularly in Africa, was of central importance.
Hegseth also emphasized the USA’s support for its allies, provided they “seriously endow their defense budgets”.
Hegseth began his visit with a morning physical training (PT) session with soldiers: “I was one of them myself, I like to discuss their view of the mission – but I’m old to them. They ran laps around me.”
However, the domestic political tensions in the USA also made themselves felt in Stuttgart: According to media reports, Hegseth was greeted with boos when he arrived at EUCOM headquarters. Members of the military chanted “DEI!” (DEI stands for diversity, equity, and inclusion), and more than 50 pupils from Patch Middle School, children of US military personnel, walked out of class in protest against him.
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