Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer

Germany disbands elite army unit over extremism concerns

Jul. 1, 2020 11:18 AM EDT

BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s defense minister disbanded a company of special forces on Wednesday saying a culture of right-wing extremism had been allowed to develop behind a “wall of secrecy.” Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer told reporters that “toxic leadership”...

FILE - In this Feb. 5, 2004 file photo, soldiers of (KSK) Kommando Spezialkraefte, German Bundeswehr's special forces take part in a training exercise in Calw, southern Germany. Germany’s defense minister reportedly plans to restructure the country’s special forces unit after numerous allegations of far-right extremism. Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer has called a press conference for Wednesday, July 1, 2020 to talk about a “structural analysis” of the KSK, unit, following up on an analysis she ordered in May. (AP Photo/Thomas Kienzle, File)

Reports: Germany revamping elite army unit over extremism

Jun. 30, 2020 1:22 PM EDT

BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s defense minister reportedly plans to restructure the country’s special forces unit after numerous allegations of far-right extremism. Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer has called a news conference for Wednesday to talk about a “structural...

FILE - In this Friday, Jan. 17, 2020 file photo, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova gestures as she attends Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's annual roundup news conference summing up his ministry's work in 2019, in Moscow, Russia. Russia's Foreign Ministry has accused the Financial Times and the New York Times of spreading

Russia welcomes prospect of US troop pullback from Germany

Jun. 11, 2020 10:51 AM EDT

MOSCOW (AP) — Russia's Foreign Ministry on Thursday welcomed President Donald Trump’s reported plan to withdraw more than a quarter of U.S. troops from Germany, saying it would help bolster security in Europe. Trump has reportedly signed off on a plan to cut the number of troops stationed in Germany...

FILE - In this Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018 file photo, President Donald Trump, center right, and first lady Melania Trump, center left, greet members of the military at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. Germany's defense minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer is warning that U.S. President Donald Trump's reported plans to withdraw more than a quarter of the American troops out of Germany could weaken not only the NATO alliance but the U.S. itself. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Germany: US troop reduction could harm NATO security

Jun. 8, 2020 1:35 PM EDT

BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s defense minister suggested Monday that U.S. President Donald Trump’s reported plans to withdraw more than a quarter of American troops out of Germany could weaken not only the NATO alliance but the U.S. itself. Trump is said to have has signed off on a plan to reduce...

German Chancellor Angela Merkel ahead of a televised interview at the hauptstadtstudio (Capital city studio) of public broadcaster ARD in Berlin, Thursday June 4, 2020. (John MacDougall/Pool via AP)

Germany's Merkel dismisses talk she might seek 5th term

Jun. 4, 2020 2:22 PM EDT

BERLIN (AP) — German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday firmly rejected suggestions that she might seek a fifth term at the helm after pledging in 2018 to step down when her current government leaves office. Merkel's center-right Union bloc has seen its poll ratings climb since the beginning of the...

In this Thursday, March 19, 2020 file photo Eberhard Zorn, left, Inspector General of the Bundeswehr and German Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, right, address the media during a press conference in Berlin, Germany. The German government has agreed on a bill that would speed up the dismissal of soldiers involved in extremism or serious crimes. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn, pool, file)

Germany wants to kick extremists out of military faster

Jun. 3, 2020 7:39 AM EDT

BERLIN (AP) — The German government has agreed on a bill that would speed up the dismissal of soldiers involved in extremism or serious crimes. Current military rules mean that soldiers who have served for more than four years can only be kicked out after they have been convicted of a crime or removed as...