US president Donald Trump said on Monday he is ordering a major reduction in US troop strength in Germany, a move widely criticised by members of his own party as a gift to Russia and a threat to US national security.
“We’re putting the number down to 25,000 soldiers,” Mr Trump said at the White House.
The US currently has about 34,500 troops in Germany – far fewer than during the Cold War, when Germany was the central focus of American and NATO efforts to deter invasion by the former Soviet Union.
In recent decades, Germany has hosted key American military facilities and provided a transit point for troops deploying to and from the Middle East, including during years of conflict in Iraq.
Mr Trump faulted Germany for failing to pay enough for its own defence, calling the long-time NATO ally “delinquent”.
“We’re protecting Germany and they’re delinquent. That doesn’t make sense,” Mr Trump said, referring to Germany’s failure thus far to attain a goal set by all NATO members in 2014 to spend at least 2 per cent of gross national product on defence by 2024.
Germany says it hopes to reach 2 per cent by 2031.
“Until they pay, we’re removing our soldiers, a number of our soldiers,” Mr Trump said. His plan, however, did not sound fully defined.
“When we get down to 25,000 we’ll see where we’re going,” he added.
Target
Since his election in 2016, Mr Trump has pushed for the 2 per cent as a hard target, and he has repeatedly singled out Germany as a major offender, though many others are also below the goal.
In his White House remarks to reporters, Mr Trump suggested his troop withdrawal decision was intended to punish Germany, noting that the presence of American troops is a boost to local economies.
“Those are well-paid soldiers,” he said. “They live in Germany. They spend vast amounts of money in Germany. Everywhere around those bases is very prosperous for Germany. So Germany takes, and then on top of it they treat us very badly on trade.”
In addition to the 34,500 US troops in Germany, there also are approximately 17,500 Defence Department civilians.
The government has contemplated a partial troop withdrawal from Germany since last year, and in recent weeks it became apparent that Mr Trump was ready to move forward, although no decision had been announced.
The decision was not discussed in advance with Germany or other NATO members, and Congress was not officially informed – prompting a letter from 22 Republican members of the House Armed Services Committee urging a rethink.
‘Threats’
“The threats posed by Russia have not lessened, and we believe that signs of a weakened US commitment to NATO will encourage further Russian aggression and opportunism,” Republican representative Mac Thornberry of Texas wrote in a letter to Mr Trump with his colleagues.
Representative Liz Cheney, a Republican from Wyoming, said last week that Mr Trump appeared to be making a serious mistake.
“America’s forward presence has never been more important than it is today, as our nation confronts the threats to freedom and security around the world posed by Vladimir Putin’s Russia and the Chinese Communist Party,” she said.
“Our presence abroad is critical to deterring these adversaries, bolstering alliances, maintaining peace through strength, and preserving American leadership.
“Withdrawing our forces and abandoning our allies would have grave consequences, emboldening our adversaries and making war more – not less – likely.” – PA