NATO defence ministers will discuss a U.S. decision to withdraw about 9,500 American service members from Germany during a virtual defense ministers meeting, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said at the alliance’s headquarters in Brussels.
Stoltenberg said today that he spoke with President Donald J. Trump via phone on the subject last week. The secretary general emphasised that U.S. presence in Europe is good for Europe, but it’s also good for North America.
“The North Atlantic Alliance links the defense of Europe to forces and capabilities from North America. A peaceful and stable Europe is important for the United States – certainly from an economic standpoint, but also politically and diplomatically”, Stoltenberg said.
NJATO also say that he noted the American presence in Europe also helps the United States to project power. He specifically mentioned Ramstein Air Base and neighboring Landstuhl Army Hospital in Germany as vital points in the worldwide transportation network.
“They are essential for what the U.S. has done over decades in the Middle East, Afghanistan, Iraq and in Africa,” Stoltenberg said.
He noted that the American presence in Europe has grown over the past few years with troops in Poland, the Baltic republics, Romania, Spain and Norway. The United States also has brought new capabilities to Europe to counter Russian adventurism, he said.
Stoltenberg said it has not been determined how and when the withdrawal will be accomplished.
Hopefully these 9,500 troops will be leaving Germany to go to Poland, rather than actually returning home.
The US has been doing a great job in Europe with their European Deterrence Initiative which should make it easier to disperse these troops around Eastern Europe a bit more too.
Decentralization, dispersion and logistics seem to be the theme these days.
With 9,500 troops disappearing from the bases in Germany, it’s going to look very empty in those areas to be emptied and will have local consequences.
We know the Germans are not going to like this…
Here’s a novel idea. Let Germany, with the fifth largest GDP in the world, actually spend more than 1.36% of it on its own defense. Problem solved.
Undoubtedly Germany has the financial means to have a First Class Military – is the problem more the Historical Straightjacket it has to live with?
That is their excuse but I think that once the Soviet Union collapsed they convinced themselves that Russia there was no longer any threat. They managed to field quite respectable armed forces during the Cold War. And you have had a decade or so under Angela Merkel, whom I always believed never had any love for the West as exemplified by the US and the UK and would rather maintain a relationship with Russia. She thinks that as long as Russia doesn’t see Germany as a threat that it will maintain a respectful attitude. That is why she has been… Read more »
I think that is part of it, not even conscious necessarily, but I think it does impact on their thinking with regards to their own defence. That and, like here in the UK, politicians are more concerned with spending money on things that win votes. We also have the financial means to have a much more potent military. By inaction and refusal to provide further funding, HMG chooses not to. Let’s face it, even £5 billion a year, whilst a drop in the ocean for the Treasury, would do wonders for defence. We could do it easily, but the government… Read more »
Not at all problem solved. First of all in terms of local development investing in the military is nowhere near the best solution, the benefit being spoken about comes from foreign investment in local german areas, not benefit to the Bundeswehr.
Also worth noting that the German Defense Budget in 2020 is about 48billion USD, which is similar to the UK’s so maybe it’s the UK that needs to buck up it’s economy?
Especially as this move is 100% political, it’s done purely out of spite, specifically to hurt those locals you mention. Because of a perceived snub.
Since when is a refusal to provide for your own defense and demand that a nation 4,000 miles away do it instead a “perceived snub” ?
Since never, please don’t put words in my mouth.