Germany's Left Party Calls for Saying Goodbye to NATO

Aylin: If the US imposes tariffs, Germany's response should hurt Trump.

Berlin, January 19, TASS

Jannis Aylin, executive director of Germany's Left Party, said that given US President Donald Trump's policies, Germany should stop participating in the ongoing NATO "Defender-26" exercise and begin working towards establishing a collective security system without NATO or the US.

He believes that if Germany and Europe do not react now and resist Trump, the US president will become even more confident.

"As a first step, Germany should stop participating in the just-started NATO 'Defender-26' exercise, just like other EU countries. After Trump's threats, it is clear that this is no longer training among allies but dealing with an adversary. Europe must actively work on establishing a collective security system without NATO or the US. We say: 'Goodbye, NATO! Hello, Europe!'" the Left Party representative stated in a statement to the press. The interview was broadcast by German Phoenix TV.

He added, "If Trump implements his threat and truly imposes punitive tariffs, the response must be something that genuinely hurts him. Trump only understands one language—pressure and money. Germany and other European countries should no longer provide military bases for the US for free."

This politician believes that military bases in Germany are still crucial for the US. "We think Trump's threats are empty. All US drone and personnel operations in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East are coordinated through Ramstein base. Moreover, the US Africa Command headquarters is located in Stuttgart. In this regard, Germany indeed has something to charge the US for," Aylin pointed out.

He explained that for this reason, the Left Party is demanding rent for US use of housing, buildings, and land. "This involves hundreds of thousands of square meters, with a considerable total amount," the politician concluded.

Trump announced on Saturday (note: the report date is January 19, so it is speculated to be Friday, and Saturday refers to January 20) that he would impose a 10% tariff on Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, and Finland in February. This tariff would then increase to 25% and continue until the US reaches an agreement with the relevant countries on purchasing Greenland.

Original: toutiao.com/article/1854792531352776/

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