US troops to exit ‘delinquent’ 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, U.S. defense leaders said Wednesday, detailing a Pentagon plan that will cost billions of dollars and take years to complete.
The decision fulfills Trump’s desire to withdraw troops from Germany, largely due to its failure to spend enough on defense. A number of forces will go to Italy, and a move would shift U.S. European Command headquarters and Special Operations Command Europe from Stuttgart, Germany, to Belgium.
Defense Secretary Mark Esper said some moves will begin in months and will leave about 24,000 troops in Germany. He said 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 reducing the force because they’re not paying their bills,” Trump said. “It’s very simple. They’re delinquent.” He added that he might rethink the decision to pull troops out of Germany “if they start paying their bills.”
NATO nations have pledged to dedicate 2% of their gross domestic product to defense spending by 2024, and Germany is short of that goal, at about 1.4%.
Esper said the military moves will cost in the “single digit” billions of dollars. Much of the plan will require congressional approval to add or reallocate funds, which might be difficult since many lawmakers have expressed opposition to some of the moves. It’s also unclear if the plan would survive if Trump is not reelected in November.
Members of Trump’s political party have criticized the troop moves as a gift to Russia and a threat to U.S. national security. Twenty-two Republicans on the House Armed Services Committee sent a letter to Trump saying a reduced U.S. commitment to Europe’s defense would encourage Russian aggression.
Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, on Wednesday called the plan a “grave error,” saying it’s a slap to Germany that will harm American interests.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed the U.S. move and said Washington has been consulting allies on the matter recently.
Germany’s Defense Ministry refused to comment on the moves, saying the plans needed to be discussed internally. Chancellor Angela Merkel defended Germany’s defense spending, saying that it has increased and that the country will continue to work toward the 2% benchmark.
Following the announcement, a lawmaker with the opposition Left Party, which has long urged the withdrawal of American troops, said the plan was “far from sufficient.”
“Wars are waged all over the world through the U.S. bases in Germany, including drone attacks that violate international law,” said Tobias Pflueger, deputy party leader with the Left.
Germany is a hub for U.S. operations in the Middle East and Africa. The decision to keep nearly half the forces in Europe is a clear move by the Pentagon to assuage allies by avoiding the withdrawal of 12,000 troops out of the region.