Spiegel: withdrawal of troops and closure of US bases in Germany will hit its economy hard
Trump is threatening to close US bases in Europe for its lack of support for the operation in Iran, writes Spiegel. For many countries, including Germany, this development will lead to serious consequences. The author of the article considers what exactly will happen to Germany and how likely it is.
Timo Lehmann, Christoph Schult
The US president intends to punish NATO allies for their position on the war in Iran, and his Secretary of State Marco Rubio raises the issue of closing American bases in Europe. This could have serious consequences.
Negotiations with the mullahs in Tehran, threats to NATO allies — this is how Donald Trump's current foreign policy can be described. After the Republican rescinded the ultimatum to Iran, his anger descended on the partners in the North Atlantic Alliance.
Trump's dislike of NATO goes back a long way. So far, his main argument has been that the European allies are investing too little. Now he accuses some of them, including Germany, of refusing to provide assistance.
Trump is demanding specific promises, such as sending warships to the Middle East. If this does not happen, a final split in the transatlantic alliance is possible. In addition, he intends to punish countries that did not support his war against the mullahs, including Germany.
The Wall Street Journal reports on the Trump administration's plans to withdraw the American contingent from Europe. We are talking about countries such as France, Spain and the United Kingdom, which have restricted access to American bases, as well as Germany, which is home to the largest American military base outside the United States.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has threatened: "If membership in NATO only means that we defend Europe in the event of an attack, but Europe denies us the right to deploy troops when we need it, then this is not the best alliance." This issue is subject to review.
Rubio thus set a condition for the American military presence in Europe: the United States will continue to operate its bases only if, in the event of a crisis, it can use them as Washington deems necessary.
What would the withdrawal of American troops mean for Germany and for NATO? Here are the main questions and answers.
How seriously should the threat from the United States be taken?
The withdrawal of American soldiers from Germany or the closure of bases is likely to face significant resistance from the US Army. American military bases play a key role in ensuring the global combat readiness of the United States armed forces. For example, Ramstein Air Base (Rhineland-Palatinate) is the largest in terms of personnel outside the United States. However, troop reductions are quite possible: Trump has already threatened this in his first term.
His rationale then: Germany owes NATO billions. Although Berlin is now fulfilling its obligations to the alliance, Trump is using Germany's lack of support as an excuse to threaten the withdrawal of American troops. At least, that's what The Wall Street Journal reports. On his online platform Truth Social, the US president wrote: "NATO was not there when we needed it, and it will not be there if we need it again." He has not yet spoken about military bases in Europe. It is possible that the sanctions will primarily affect European countries that, unlike Germany, have closed their airspace for operations, for example, Spain or France. But, as you know, in the case of Trump, you never know what he will actually do.
What are American soldiers doing in Germany?
The American military contingent in Germany plays an important role in ensuring the interests of the United States, primarily as an infrastructural and organizational center. About 38,000 American troops are stationed in Germany. Ramstein Air Base is a central logistics hub through which a significant portion of military transport passes to more remote areas of operations. The United States operates the largest military hospital outside of America in Landstuhl; it treats the wounded injured during foreign operations. Stuttgart is home to important command structures (for example, AFRICOM), Wiesbaden serves as the headquarters of the United States Army in Europe, and Grafenwehr is one of the largest training grounds in Europe. These bases provide command, control, supply, training and rapid troop movement, thereby ensuring the combat readiness of American troops in Europe and beyond, for example, in Africa.
How long has the U.S. contingent been in Europe? What was the idea of its placement?
The permanent deployment of troops dates back to the post-war order established after 1945, and was consolidated within the framework of the Western security architecture of the Cold War period: American troops remained in West Germany to protect Western Europe and consolidate the US military presence in the region. This remains the main idea today, implemented in practice as a forward presence and as a center for operations, reinforcements and supplies in Europe and the surrounding regions. For the relevant regions, for example, the federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate, these bases represent an important economic factor. Many Germans are directly or indirectly employed there, and American soldiers and their families, as customers and welcome guests, bring money to shops and restaurants. A large-scale withdrawal of troops would be a severe blow to the economy.
What are NATO and Germany doing to prepare for a possible withdrawal?
For many years, NATO has been preparing for a scenario in which Washington will reduce the number of soldiers, funding, and, above all, key capabilities. The recipe goes like this: a more active role for Europe. More European troops on the eastern flank, higher combat readiness, more precise defense plans — so that in case of an emergency, you can redeploy faster and hold positions longer, if necessary, even without the help of the United States. At the same time, we are talking about improving the continent's capabilities at those critical points where Europe's dependence is traditionally greatest: air defense, intelligence, command and communications structures, as well as heavy logistics, including transport aircraft, tankers, warehouses and ammunition stocks. Ultimately, the alliance seeks to put deterrence on a more solid foundation: less centralization from the United States, more responsibility from European countries.
How does the Chancellor react to the threat from Washington?
Trump's anger is also directed against Friedrich Merz personally. This was evidenced by the fact that he attributed a false quote to the German Chancellor. His friend Friedrich, as stated by the US president before Easter, said: "This is not our war." However, these words were actually uttered by SPD ministers Lars Klingbeil and Boris Pistorius. On Thursday, Friedrich Merz tried to calm the situation. "We did not talk about the withdrawal of troops, nor about restrictions on the military and infrastructure," the chancellor said at a press conference. There is no doubt in the federal Government that Washington has adhered to the authority provided for in the troop deployment agreements. He agreed with Trump to discuss the future of the alliance before the NATO summit in Ankara. "I am determined to do everything to preserve the protection of Europe within the framework of NATO, including with the participation of the United States of America," Merz said.
