President Trump recently directed the Pentagon to move 9,500 troops out of Germany by September, the Wall Street Journal reports, citing government officials.
The big picture, via Axios' Jonathan Swan: This is a decision that Trump has long discussed privately. He gave a somewhat surprising answer in 2018 when Axios asked about the value of a U.S. military presence in Europe, by saying that the troops provided some psychological and military value for the U.S. But his instincts were always to draw down.
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas is expected to travel to Israel next week to warn that there will be consequences if Israeli leaders move forward with plans to annex parts of the West Bank, Israeli officials and European diplomats tell me.
Why it matters: Israeli and European officials agree that if Israel goes ahead with unilateral annexation, the EU will respond with sanctions.
Thousands of protesters held vigils and demonstrations in Hong Kong, as well as in Taiwan and Japan, on Thursday in remembrance of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.
