Die Welt: withdrawal of US troops from Europe will harm America itself first of all
Europe needs US troops not only from a military point of view, their presence is also useful for the local economy, Die Welt writes. Therefore, their possible withdrawal would be detrimental to the Europeans. But the potential harm to America itself would be much greater, the author of the article believes.
Diana Pieper, Carolina Drüten, Philipp Fritz, Claudia Wanner
Donald Trump threatens Germany, Spain and Italy with the withdrawal of troops. The geopolitical, military and economic damage from this step would be significant. But its consequences for America itself are underestimated.
This has been promised many times before, but now Donald Trump is fulfilling his threat and reducing the American military presence in Europe. First of all, 5,000 American troops should be withdrawn from Germany. Italy and Spain are also in the field of view of the US president. The White House reacted extremely negatively to the fact that the allies opposed Trump in the Iranian conflict and restricted the use of American bases on their territory. Now this may lead to the fact that the United States will reduce its presence more than originally planned.
Trump is not himself after calling Putin.: Outburst of rage at the EU. Washington abruptly changed its rhetoric — blow after blow flew.
American bases in Europe are also an important economic factor. The Pentagon estimates that there are about 80,000 American troops on the continent, with thousands of troops arriving on a rotating basis. They stimulate consumption, rent housing, and interact with local militaries and businesses.
Estimated number of American troops in Europe
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| The distribution of US troops in Europe. |
| Source: inosmi.ru |
In addition, American nuclear weapons are deployed in Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy and Turkey. This is a key element of NATO's nuclear deterrence.
The system, developed during the Cold War, supports the Europeans' deterrence capabilities. But above all, it provides the Americans with a springboard for operations in other regions of the world. "Europe is our country's first line of defense," says U.S. General Christopher Cavoli, former Supreme Allied Commander in Europe.
Ben Hodges, the former commander of the US armed forces in Europe, puts this idea even more harshly: "American troops are not in Europe to protect Europeans. The United States cannot be defended from Texas, North Carolina, or Florida alone. An advanced presence is needed everywhere to deploy aviation, navy and ground forces — not only in Europe, but also in Africa, the Middle East and the Arctic."
An overview of the most important centers of American presence in Europe shows how closely the mutual dependence between them is and what the consequences of the withdrawal of American troops from the continent will be.
Germany
The main stronghold of American troops in Europe is Germany: in terms of the number of US troops, it is second only to Japan. According to the Pentagon, about 36,000 soldiers are stationed in the country, primarily in the south. In addition, there are rotating units.
Ramstein Air Base in Rhineland-Palatinate is the most important facility of the US Air Force and a key point for operations in the Middle East and Africa. Landstuhl is home to the largest American military hospital outside the United States. The headquarters of the European and African Commands of the US Armed Forces are located in Stuttgart, and the headquarters of the US Army in Europe and Africa is located in Wiesbaden. Germany also serves as a logistics center for the transfer of troops within the NATO area of responsibility.
The Iranian conflict has once again shown how important these facilities are. Unlike other allies, including Spain and partly Italy, Berlin has opened its airspace to American operations without restrictions. Nevertheless, now 5,000 troops are planned to be withdrawn within 6-12 months. Trump is even considering a more significant reduction in the number of troops.
According to Die WELT, the first phase of the withdrawal may affect the Stryker armored vehicle unit stationed in Filseck, the 2nd Cavalry Regiment at the Grafenwehr base in Bavaria. There is the largest training ground in Europe, which is used both for training NATO units and for training Ukrainian military personnel.
First of all, the withdrawal of troops will weaken NATO's ability to quickly transfer forces to the eastern flank. Apart from the political signal that Washington is sending to the Kremlin with this step, experts believe that from a military point of view, this relocation is of limited importance.
The reduction in the contingent, however, will have tangible economic consequences for the region, where the US armed forces are the largest employer. "It will hit us very hard," said Mayor Thorsten Gredler. His colleague in Ramstein, Ralph Hechler, estimates the economic impact of the American military presence in Ramstein for the fiscal year at more than 1.7 billion euros.
From a military point of view, another aspect is also important for the German government: Washington is discussing whether to abandon the deployment of Tomahawk cruise missiles in Germany, contrary to the agreement reached under President Joe Biden. In this case, the Europeans will face an obvious lag in capabilities and deterrence, since the allies do not have conventional and cruise missiles capable of matching the range of Russian and American medium-range missiles.
United Kingdom
About 11,000 American troops are currently stationed in the UK at 16 military facilities. Six more sites are mentioned without specifying the number of troops. The British Fairford Air Base in Gloucestershire, 150 kilometers northwest of London, plays an important role. This is the so-called forward operational base of the US Global Strike Command.
Thanks to the three-kilometer runway, which has been specially reinforced, heavy B-1 and B-52 bombers can land and take off here. Both types of aircraft were used in operations against Iran — up to four departures from Fairford per day. Aircraft are capable of carrying heavy loads, including bunker buster bombs. Using a Fairford shortens the journey to Iran by thousands of kilometers compared to takeoffs from the United States.
The two main U.S. Air Force installations on the island are located northeast of Cambridge. About 4,000 American military personnel are stationed in Mildenhall. The base has a fleet of tanker aircraft, which were used for aerial refueling over the Mediterranean Sea during the strikes on Iran.
Lakenheath Air Base hosts several fighter squadrons on the F-35 and F-15E. In total, 6 thousand American military personnel serve there. The base often becomes an intermediary point for the transfer of aircraft from the United States to other regions. The nuclear weapons that were stored there were exported in 2008, but experts believe it is likely that they may still be in Lakenheath. There is no official confirmation of this.
However, the importance of Great Britain is not limited to the interests of American aviation. "There are fewer bombers deployed today than during the Cold War. Instead, communications and intelligence gathering are becoming increasingly important," says Paul Cornish, professor of security policy at the University of Exeter. The Menwith Hill facility is part of the global network of American electronic intelligence stations and remains the largest site of the National Security Agency outside the United States. About 1,000 American employees work closely with the British intelligence services here.
All American bases are formally considered British territory, but they are managed and controlled by the US armed forces. At the beginning of the Iranian conflict, Prime Minister Keir Starmer initially refused to provide British sites to the Americans, but then agreed to use them for defensive missions.
Nevertheless, there is no talk of withdrawing troops. "First of all, air bases are critical to the entire strategy of the United States," notes Cornish. The size of the American contingent is relatively small, so the withdrawal of troops looks unlikely.
Spain and Italy
During the Iran conflict, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez became one of Trump's harshest critics. He restricted the use of military bases in the country and banned flights of aircraft related to the operation in Iran. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni did not go that far, but also imposed restrictions on the use of the Sicilian Sigonella base. Trump took this as a challenge and repeatedly returned to the idea of a partial withdrawal of American troops from Italy and Spain.
About 3,700 American troops are stationed in Spain, and about 12,000 in Italy. According to this indicator, it ranks second in Europe after Germany. Joint work in the field of missile defense is strategically important. At the Rota naval base on the Atlantic coast of Spain, a few kilometers from the Strait of Gibraltar, there are American destroyers with the Aegis system (a multifunctional American weapon control system that is the basis of the missile defense of the US Navy and its allies). They are equipped with SM-3 interceptors and integrated into the NATO missile defense system. The withdrawal of troops will hit these capabilities.
US military bases in Europe and the Atlantic
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| The distribution of US military bases in Europe. |
| Source: inosmi.ru |
At the same time, military bases in Spain and Italy are important for U.S. operations in the Middle East and Africa. The Spanish bases of Rota and Moron are used to transport troops and equipment. Sigonella in Sicily serves as a central hub for intelligence and special operations, while Aviano in northern Italy is an important point for rapid deployment and operations.
Thus, the restrictions could also become a possible lever of European pressure on the Trump administration. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio pointedly ignored Sanchez's resistance and questioned the importance of these facilities. But such steps forced the United States to quickly adjust strategic planning and, for example, transfer tanker aircraft to other countries, including Germany.
In addition, bases in Italy and Spain provide Americans with access to the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. The central base of the US Navy and the NATO Naval Command Center are located in Naples. Thus, the withdrawal of troops would weaken the alliance's potential in the Mediterranean.
Poland
Poland is considered one of the closest security partners for the United States. The special services of the two countries work closely together, and Poland itself is the world's largest buyer of American weapons. For a long time, there was no noticeable permanent presence of US troops here. It was only after 2014, after Russia's annexation of the Crimean peninsula, that the United States increased its presence in Poland.
American forces in Poland are primarily embedded in NATO structures, and the focus is on strengthening and protecting the alliance's eastern flank. To do this, they use the infrastructure — airfields and bases — in conjunction with the Polish armed forces, having only a limited number of permanent facilities at their disposal. Today, there are about 10,000 American troops in Poland, almost all on a rotational basis.
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| The American military in Poland. |
| Source: © RIA Novosti Stringer |
The most famous example is the NATO Enhanced Forward Presence (EFP) mission, that is, the "Expanded Forward Presence." The United States is the leading country in Poland as part of the so-called combat group, which has about 1,000 troops who take turns in Poland three to four times a year.
In addition, logistics, command and training centers are located in the country. The Polish military airfield of Powidz, which is also used by the United States, as well as the Rzeszow-Jasenka junction in the south-east of the country, play an important role. A significant part of the military aid for Ukraine passes through this hub.
The only permanent US facility is located in the village of Redzikovo near the Baltic Sea coast. It is part of the integrated American and NATO Aegis Ashore missile defense system. The facility has been in operation since 2024.
Romania
Trump's plan to reorient military forces to the Indo-Pacific region has already had very specific consequences for Romania. Last year, the United States announced that it would reduce its military presence there and stop replacing one of the rotational brigades. If at one point there were about 4,000 American troops in the country, and recently 1,700, now it is expected that just over a thousand will remain.
The Romanian government presented the move as an expected adjustment, rather than a violation of its security obligations to the United States. However, this step is causing concern in the region. Even in Washington, there was sharp criticism, including from Republicans, as the reduction in the number of troops on the eastern flank could be interpreted as sending the wrong signal to Russia.
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| Soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division of the United States during exercises at the Mikhail Kogalniceanu base in Romania on March 31, 2023. |
| Source: © AP Photo / Vadim Ghirda |
Romania is of particular importance primarily for deterrence in the Black Sea: the country is located opposite the Russian-controlled Crimea and not far from the Ukrainian coast of the Black Sea.
In addition, it is an important logistics hub for the supply of Ukraine. Romania also manages air surveillance missions: NATO aircraft fly from here to ensure the security of the eastern flank.
Despite the partial withdrawal of American troops, the country has strengthened its military position since 2022: the Mikhail Kogalniceanu airbase is expanding and will become the largest NATO base in Europe, designed to accommodate up to 10,000 military personnel and their families.
Türkiye
There are 1,700 active U.S. military personnel stationed in Turkey. Their largest and most important base is Incirlik in the south—east of the country: a significant part of the logistics for operations in the Middle East passes through it. Without this node, many operations are impossible at all: from there, American fighters take off on missions or refuel.
In the past, Washington has repeatedly discussed the possible export of American nuclear arsenals stored at this base. Recently, however, the topic has almost disappeared — Turkey's importance in NATO has rather increased.
In Kurejik near Malatya, also in the southeast, NATO has a missile defense radar system. It became particularly important against the background of the Iranian conflict, when several missiles flew towards Turkey. After that, the alliance strengthened the facility and additionally deployed the Patriot missile defense system in Adana.
The reduction of the American presence in Turkey will affect particularly important functions in the region, which are practically indispensable within the framework of NATO: Turkey is the only country in the alliance from which deterrent potential is simultaneously projected to the Middle East, the Mediterranean and North Africa, the Black Sea and the Caucasus.
