What does the German government say in response?SCHMITZ: Well, a German Defense Ministry spokesperson has given us, NPR, a vague statement that says Germany and the U.S. have collaborated well over the years on missions and NATO exercises and that it assumes this will continue to be the case in the future.
But President Trump and presidents before him have been frustrated by Germany's level of defense spending, though Trump has been much more belligerent about it. NATOâs Baltic Air Policing mission in Lithuania has been reinforced by Germany's Air Force Eurofighters / Ministry of DefenceNATOâs Baltic Air Policing mission in Lithuania has been reinforced by Germany's Air Force EurofightersNATOâs Baltic Air Policing mission in Lithuania has been reinforced by Germany's Air Force EurofightersNATOâs Baltic Air Policing mission in Lithuania has been reinforced by Germany's Air Force EurofightersNATOâs Baltic Air Policing mission in Lithuania has been reinforced by Germany's Air Force Eurofighters Control practices diverge in their And we want it done fairly, justly. The German ambassador to the U.S. said that U.S. troops are in Germany not to protect Germany but for America's own security interests.KING: It's worth asking - U.S. troops have been in Germany since the Nazi defeat in World War Two. But they acknowledge they need the attorney general and Congress to provide funding to have a greater impact.KING: NPR's Franco Ordoñez. This is the sixth time that Germany is taking part in the mission. It's not a critical statement - just a reality. The officials say the focus is on breaking down barriers and working with law enforcement, not demonizing the police.KING: Given what we've learned about how many police departments there are in this country, the ways in which they all do things differently, will an executive order from the president have any teeth?ORDOÑEZ: You know, that's a good question.