According to the Wall Street Journal on June 5, President trump has asked the Pentagon to withdraw 9500 US troops from Germany by September this year. At present, the total number of US troops in Germany is about 34500.
According to the report, the move will also limit the number of US troops stationed in Germany to no more than 25000 at any time, while according to current practice, with the rotation of troops or participation in training exercises, the total number of US troops in Germany can reach up to 52000.
Robert O’Brien, US national security assistant, recently signed a memorandum calling for the change, a US official said Friday. Another senior U.S. official revealed that the trump administration has been discussing relevant measures since September last year, unrelated to the German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s refusal to attend the G7 summit in Washington at the end of June.
But the official acknowledged that the US move reflected Trump’s long-standing policy towards Germany. Since trump took office, there have been clear differences between the two countries on military spending, Beixi No. 2 and other issues.
On June 6, Reuters also quoted an unnamed U.S. official as saying that disarmament was the result of months of work by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of staff, mark Milley.
On the German side, a senior defense official told the Wall Street Journal that the German government had not received formal notice, but had heard through diplomatic channels that the US military would reduce its garrison.
“We know trump will do this in the face of domestic pressure, but we think he will withdraw from Afghanistan first,” the official said He also warned that the move would not help those German friends who are trying to maintain the relationship between the two countries, “but rather contribute to the anti American sentiment that has spread here.”
The Pentagon declined to comment.
“Other allies will ask: will I be the next one?”
Germany is the main hub of the US military training in the European continent, with various important US military bases, including the training bases in Grafenwoehr and HOHENFELS, as well as the US Air Force and army headquarters in Europe; the US African command is also located in Germany.
The trump administration’s decision to withdraw has been criticized by some former top defense officials and lawmakers, who fear it will further weaken a key alliance and give opportunities to U.S. opponents.
Frederick Hodges, the former commander of the US military in Germany, believes that the presence of the US in Germany can promote the Pentagon’s ability to project power to Europe and other regions. “Russia has not taken any measures to reduce the threat to our allies. Why should we” reward “this kind of behavior by reducing our troops?” he said? Germany is our most important ally in Europe, and it looks like punishment. ”
According to officials familiar with the matter, Trump’s new move limits the U.S. military ceiling in Germany, but the U.S. may transfer its surplus forces to Poland or other European countries, some of which will return to the United States. In short, it will continue to maintain an important military force in Europe.
However, according to the Wall Street Journal, Poland and other central European countries generally have less developed infrastructure than Germany. In addition, the U.S. move may also worry allies, including South Korea, which also disagrees with the U.S. over military spending.
James Townsend, a former senior Pentagon official in European and NATO policy, questioned that the trump administration’s move not only eroded trust with Germany, but also with other allies. “Other allies will ask, will I be the next one?”
In response, John ullyot, spokesman of the White House National Security Council, said that there was no statement at present, but trump, as the commander in chief of the three forces, was constantly evaluating the best configuration of US military and overseas military forces. “The United States is still committed to working with our strong ally Germany to ensure our common defense, as well as many other important issues.
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