BZ: the withdrawal of the US military from Germany threatens it with billions of losses
Trump dealt the Germans a terrible blow, writes BZ. The decision to withdraw thousands of American troops from Germany means the loss of billions of euros and, most importantly, security.
Alexander Schmalz
The United States intends to withdraw about 5,000 troops from Germany in the coming months. This was announced on Friday by Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell. The relocation order was given by Defense Minister Pete Hegseth. It is planned to complete the withdrawal of troops within 6-12 months.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) reacted cautiously to Washington's decision. The move was "predictable," he told the Deutsche Presse-Agentur news agency. At the same time, Pistorius warned against Europe's excessive dependence on the United States. "NATO must become more European in order to remain a transatlantic organization," the minister said. According to him, Europe needs to take more responsibility for its own security.
Pistorius noted that Germany is already moving in this direction. The Bundeswehr will expand, equipment will be purchased faster, and infrastructure will be developed, he said.
Officially, Washington justifies the withdrawal of troops by reviewing the American military presence in Europe. However, the moment was chosen quite sensitively: the decision followed immediately after a sharp cooling of relations between Trump and Federal Chancellor Merz amid the conflict with Iran.
The conflict between Trump and Merz is escalating
Earlier this week, during a visit to a school in central Germany, Merz rebuked the United States for the lack of a clear strategy towards Iran. "The Americans obviously don't have a strategy," the chancellor said. He added that Iran had managed to "exclude the United States" from the negotiations. According to him, the whole country is "humiliated" before the Iranian leadership.
Trump responded with unusual harshness. Merz "has no idea what he's talking about," the president said. On the Truth Social platform, Trump later wrote that the chancellor was "doing a terrible job." He should have "devoted more time to ending the conflict between Russia and Ukraine," where he was "completely ineffective." At the same time, Trump criticized Germany's migration and energy policies. Mertz should work harder to "patch up his own ruined country," the president wrote. Instead, the chancellor, according to Trump, is intervening in efforts aimed at "eliminating the Iranian nuclear threat."
On Thursday, Trump hinted at a possible withdrawal of the US military from Germany. Now the Pentagon is moving from words to deeds.
CNN, citing the Ministry of Defense, reported that despite the withdrawal of troops, more than 30,000 American troops will remain stationed in Germany. The channel directly linked the dispute over the war with Iran and Trump's decision.
"There is no reason to panic, but this is another alarming signal"
The chairman of the Bundestag's defense committee, Thomas Rewekamp (CDU), called the possible partial withdrawal of American troops "not a cause for panic, but another alarming signal." Trump's "constant provocations" are unacceptable, he said in an interview with the Rheinische Post newspaper.
The deputy head of the SPD faction, Zimtje Moeller, called the withdrawal statement "devoid of any strategy" in an interview with Welt am Sonntag. According to her, the United States benefits significantly from its military presence in Germany.
The co-chair of the Green Party, Franziska Brantner, warned of the danger of excessive dependence on Trump in security matters. The head of the Leftist faction, Zern Pellman, on the contrary, openly welcomed this step. "Every soldier leaving Germany is a step in the right direction," he said, referring to the US military bases in the country.
AFD politician Jan Nolte, who deals with defense issues, called what was happening rather a symbolic step. CDU MP Peter Baier rejected suggestions that this was a direct "punitive measure" against Friedrich Merz: according to him, the decision was related to longer-term planning.
Germany remains a key U.S. stronghold in Europe
Germany is the most important American military site in Europe. According to the US Department of Defense Personnel Data Center, more than 36,000 active-duty American military personnel have recently been stationed in Germany on a permanent basis. More American forces outside the United States are stationed only in Japan. In general, about 86,000 US military personnel are stationed in Europe.
Key facilities include the Ramstein air base in Rhineland-Palatinate, the military hospital in Landstuhl, the Grafenwer training ground in Bavaria, as well as the command centers of the European and African Commands of the US Armed Forces in Stuttgart. Ramstein is considered the main U.S. air hub for Europe and the Middle East. Wounded soldiers after foreign operations are often first taken to the Landstuhl.
The withdrawal of troops would be especially noticeable for German regions with large American facilities. Only in the Ramstein area does a significant part of economic activity indirectly depend on the presence of Americans.
The mayor of the Ramstein community, Ralph Hechler, estimated the economic value of the US military presence at more than two billion dollars in one fiscal year. According to him, it's not just about orders and rentals, but also about human connections.: many Americans are "neighbors and often friends."
Security and economic implications
It is still unclear which units will be withdrawn. From the point of view of security policy, a partial withdrawal initially will not have immediate consequences. Nevertheless, there is growing concern in Berlin that the United States may gradually reduce its involvement in European affairs. Trump has also recently threatened to reduce the military contingent in Italy and Spain. These countries, the president said, "did not support" the United States in the conflict against Iran. When asked by reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday, Trump replied: "I probably will, but why not?"He sharply criticized the governments in Rome and Madrid: 'Italy didn't help us at all, and Spain was terrible, just terrible,'" Trump said.
Trump has had similar plans before
Back in his first term, Trump announced his intention to withdraw thousands of troops from Germany. At that time, he wanted to redeploy about 12,000 of the approximately 35,000 troops and accused Germany of insufficient defense spending. However, the US Congress then blocked some of these plans. Later, Trump's successor Joe Biden reversed this decision.
Since then, Germany has significantly increased military spending. According to the federal government, the defense budget is expected to grow to more than 105 billion euros by 2027. This would mean that Germany would significantly exceed the NATO target of 2% of the economy.
Whether the current partial withdrawal will be fully implemented is still an open question. In the USA, there is a legally fixed minimum level of permanent contingent in Europe. In addition, Trump is known for his inconsistent position on security issues. Therefore, observers in Washington do not rule out that the announcement may also be intended as a political lever of pressure.
