The United States will boost its military presence in Germany with 500 more soldiers, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin announced during a visit to Berlin on Tuesday.
The announcement after a meeting with his German counterpart Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer comes as the transatlantic allies seek to settle their defence ties after a tumultuous four years under Donald Trump's White House.
Former president Trump had said last year he would withdraw 12,000 troops from the 35,000 currently stationed in Germany, but his successor Joe Biden put a stop to the move.
The 500 extra troops, set to deployed to the Wiesbaden area near Frankfurt, "will strengthen deterrence and defence in Europe," Austin said.
Kramp-Karrenbauer said the troop deployment would be a "strong sign of the bond" between the two countries.
Former US president Trump repeatedly attacked Germany for not spending enough on defence, among other criticisms of Europe's biggest economy that frayed bilateral ties.
President Joe Biden's policies have changed little from Trump's, however, with the US still demanding that NATO countries spend 2 per cent of their gross domestic product (GDP) on defence. Germany in 2020 spent 1.56 per cent on defence, but has promised to increase it.
Another key sticking point that arose in Tuesday's discussions is the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, a megaproject that also has security implications.
Washington believes the undersea gas pipeline between Russia and Germany will make Germany - and Europe - too dependent on Russian energy. The pipeline is almost complete.
After the talks with Austin, Kramp-Karrenbauer did not rule out a pause in construction on a pipeline, saying it was "a question that can be asked."
The German government has refused US calls to halt the construction, saying it was a commercial project and therefore not for the government to intervene.
Austin is due to visit US troops in Stuttgart later on Tuesday. He will continue his European trip with talks in Brussels.
