Military: USA declares withdrawal of 5,000 troopers from Germany | EUROtoday

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the withdrawal of round 5,000 US troopers from Germany. It is assumed that the withdrawal might be accomplished throughout the subsequent six to 12 months, a Pentagon spokesman instructed the German Press Agency. This choice follows an intensive evaluation of the US troop presence in Europe. It takes into consideration the necessities of the areas of operation and the situations on website, it stated.

Trump had lately introduced that he would contemplate a corresponding step. He had beforehand expressed clear criticism of Chancellor Friedrich Merz as a result of he had made vital feedback in regards to the US offensive in opposition to Iran.

There are at present virtually 40,000 US troopers in Germany

There have been dozens of enormous US navy bases in Europe for many years. They are of monumental significance in America’s world missions – for instance within the Middle East – the place troops, weapons, ships and plane are stationed, drones are managed and injured persons are handled. In Germany, these embrace the US High Command for Europe (EUCOM) in Stuttgart and, as a US Air Force hub, Ramstein Airfield in Rhineland-Palatinate. The USA maintains different essential bases in Italy and Great Britain.

According to info from the US navy in mid-April, round 86,000 troopers are at present stationed in Europe – round 39,000 of them in Germany. The quantity modifications recurrently, additionally as a consequence of rotations and workouts.

Trump already wished to withdraw troops

At the top of final yr, the US Congress selected a safety mechanism: the full variety of armed forces completely within the European Command’s space of ​​duty should not be lower than 76,000 for greater than 45 days. After that, sure reporting channels must be adopted with a view to obtain a discount.

Trump had already threatened to cut back the troop contingent in Germany throughout his first time period in workplace (2017 to 2021). A couple of months earlier than he left the White House, he introduced that he wished to withdraw 12,000 of the 35,000 US troopers from Germany on the time. Several thousand of them had been to be relocated inside Europe, whereas others had been to return to the USA. At the time, Trump described the undertaking as a punitive motion for what he noticed as an absence of German navy spending. His successor Joe Biden then stopped the plans after taking workplace.

There had been initially totally different alerts in Trump’s second time period in workplace

In his second time period in workplace, Trump initially gave Germany hope that the US troopers stationed there would stay at their present troop ranges. When Merz visited Washington final summer time, when requested by a reporter, he stated that if Germany wished the American troopers there, he could be prepared to take action. “Yes, we will do that. That’s no problem.”

It was solely in March that Trump promised the Chancellor throughout one other go to to Washington that the USA wished to keep up its troop presence in Germany. “This is good news, but I didn’t expect it to be any other way,” stated the CDU chairman after a gathering with Trump.

Relations between Trump and March have deteriorated

The Federal Chancellor and the US President maintained a reasonably good relationship with one another for months – however with regard to the Iran struggle, Merz lately took a publicly vital tone. During a dialogue with college students in Sauerland at the start of the week, he stated: “An entire nation is being humiliated by the Iranian government.” The US couldn’t finish the struggle rapidly, “because the Iranians are obviously stronger than expected and the Americans obviously don’t have a really convincing strategy in the negotiations.”

Trump then personally attacked Merz: “He has no idea what he’s talking about!” he wrote on Truth Social on Tuesday. It’s no marvel “that Germany is doing so badly, both economically and in other respects!” He accused Merz of agreeing that Iran had nuclear weapons.

On Wednesday, the Chancellor countered the ensuing impression that his relationship with Trump had reached a brand new low: “The personal relationship between the American President and me remains good – at least from my point of view,” he stated. “We are still in good discussions with each other.”