US to pull 6,400 troops home from Germany
WASHINGTON — Spurred on by President Donald Trump’s demand to pull troops out of Germany, the U.S. will bring about 6,400 forces home and shift about 5,600 to other countries in Europe, American defense leaders said Wednesday, detailing a Pentagon plan that will cost billions of dollars and take years to complete.
The decision fulfills Trump’s announced desire to withdraw troops from Germany, largely because of its failure to spend enough on defense. A number of forces will go to Italy, and a major move would shift U.S. European Command headquarters and Special Operations Command Europe from Stuttgart, Germany, to Belgium.
The future of the plan is uncertain, at best, since it relies on support and funding from Congress, and a number of members have voiced opposi- tion. And it may not survive at all if Trump isn’t reelected.
Lawmakers have condemned the troop cuts as a gift to Russia fueled by Trump’s spite at Germany. But Defense Secretary Mark Esper defended the plan Wednesday, saying that while the decision was “accelerated” by Trump’s orders, the moves also promote larger strategic goals to deter Russia, reassure European allies, and shift forces farther east into the Black Sea and Baltic regions.
“We’re moving forces out of central Europe, Germany, where they’ve been since the Cold War,” Esper said, adding that it will shift U.S. forces east, closer to Russia, “where our newest allies are.”