Germany said it would step in and temporarily cover the salaries of 11,000 employees of the U.S. Armed Forces working inside the NATO ally amid the ongoing federal government shutdown in the U.S.

The German federal government will "initiate an unscheduled expenditure to ensure that October salaries are paid on time," a spokeswoman for the finance ministry told AFP on Wednesday.

The Trump administration is expected to repay the costs, Germany's Stern reported .

Newsweek has contacted the Pentagon for comment via email outside of normal business hours.

The U.S. federal government shutdown is entering its third week in a standoff over extending health care subsidies due to expire.

Republicans want to pass a short-term funding bill to keep the government open while bipartisan negotiat

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