Why is Europe (Germany in particular) apparently paying so little for US troop presence/protection, compared to South Korea? | pressku.com

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CNBC wrote successful that 2020 about nan cost-sharing statement for US unit beingness successful South Korea

In nan past one-year, cost-sharing agreement, Seoul agreed to salary astir $900 cardinal and successful negotiations for nan caller one, they had offered a 13% summation connected that number [...]. Those cost-sharing agreements, besides referred to arsenic nan Korea Special Measures Agreement, person existed since 1991 [...]

It wasn't excessively clear that nan clip framework progressive for nan payments is, but I managed to find a later document:

The publication of nan Republic of Korea for 2020 is 1.0389 trillion Korean Won. The publication of nan Republic of Korea for 2021 is 1.1833 trillion Korean Won. The 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025 contributions shall beryllium wished by expanding nan publication of nan erstwhile twelvemonth by the ROK defense fund summation complaint of nan erstwhile year.

1 trillion won is astir 800 cardinal USD, truthful those contributions are (since 2020 astatine least) yearly figures.

Looking for akin figures for European countries, I recovered an article astir Germany:

Between 2010 and 2019, Berlin paid a full of €982.4 million, pinch €648.5 cardinal spent for building measures and €333.9 cardinal defence costs, according to nan finance ministry figures published successful consequence to a parliamentary query from guidance Left Party lawmaker Brigitte Freihold (Die Linke).

Per year, that seems for illustration 10% of what South Korea is now paying, while nan US unit levels are somewhat akin (tens of thousands) successful some countries. Is nan German costs fig really cumulative complete 9 years, and if it is, has it (noticeably) accrued during nan Trump presidency?

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