More than two thirds (74%) of German residents believe that the possible withdrawal of the US military from the territory of the country will not affect national security. This is evidenced by a survey conducted by the German sociological institute Emnid.

However, only 18% of respondents said that the presence of Americans in the country helps them feel more secure.

The US military is stationed in Germany since the end of World War II. In total, 36 American bases are currently located on the territory of the republic, on which about 35 thousand military personnel and about 17 thousand civilians are deployed. Germany also has part of the United States nuclear arsenal.

However, talk about a possible withdrawal of the US contingent from Germany has been going on for a long time, political analysts recall.

“German politicians of various directions, from left to right, have repeatedly raised the issue of withdrawing at least nuclear weapons from the country. One of the last couple of years ago, a member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany Martin Schulz was noted in this. This was also expressed by representatives of the greens, national democrats, members of the “Alternative for Germany,” Alexander Kamkin, a leading researcher at the Center for German Studies at the Institute of Europe of the Russian Academy of Sciences, noted in an interview with RT.

Disputes over this aroused with renewed vigor in early August, when US Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell said that the Pentagon could transfer to Poland part of the American contingent located on German territory. He explained a possible measure by the reluctance of Berlin to increase defense allocations to 2% of GDP according to NATO standards. In addition, the head of the White House, Donald Trump, has repeatedly spoken about the need to increase military spending.

However, in German political circles, Washington’s threats have been mixed. So, the leader of the Left Party faction in the Bundestag, Dietmar Barch, said that if the United States intends to leave Germany, then "they should take their own nuclear missiles with them." At the same time, he warned Washington against the transfer of these units to Poland, as this could complicate relations with Russia.

  • Leader of the Left Party faction in the Bundestag Dietmar Barch
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  • © Christian Thiel / imago stock & people

However, the German leadership still reacted extremely restrained to the attacks of their partner in the North Atlantic Alliance. So, Chancellor Angela Merkel emphasized that Berlin only welcomes the presence of the United States troops in the republic.

At the same time, analysts say that since Donald Trump became the owner of the White House, relations between Berlin and Washington have deteriorated significantly.

“The mood of German society is negatively affected by the stubbornness of the American president, who literally knocks out the increase in financing of his own army at the expense of German taxpayers, as well as the latent feeling that their country is not completely sovereign due to the presence of foreign troops on its territory, albeit and formally allied - the USA and Great Britain. Moreover, the US military has the right to use the various military infrastructure of Germany in priority order. This causes a lack of understanding among local residents, ”says Kamkin.

  • US Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell
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  • © Klaus-Dietmar Gabbert / ZB

In addition to raising defense spending, the positions of Germany and America diverged on the issue of a nuclear deal with Iran: Berlin condemned Washington’s withdrawal from this agreement. The German leadership also rejected criticism from the White House on Merkel’s immigration policy. Another problematic topic in bilateral relations is the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. In the USA, they actively urge the countries participating in this project to abandon it and threaten sanctions against companies that are working on its implementation.

“The United States has entered into a rather tough contradiction with the German elites on the issue of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. Despite shouts from Washington, advice, recommendations, and even direct threats from the American ambassador, Germany continues to support this project, thus demonstrating its independence, ”Kirill Koktysh, MGIMO Associate Professor, said in an interview with RT.

At the same time, the expert doubted that in the short term, Washington and Berlin will come to a decision on the withdrawal of the US military from the territory of Germany.

"Guarantor of the world"

Alexander Kamkin, in an interview with RT, stressed that ordinary Germans are also very worried about Washington’s foreign policy.

“The Germans take into account that the current policy of the American administration leads to a destabilization of the situation, and US military facilities, their nuclear weapons and intelligence centers can become a potential target in the event of a serious escalation of tension. The citizens of Germany do not want to be held hostage by such geopolitical processes, ”Kamkin emphasized.

At the same time, the analyst noted that, judging by the polls, the inhabitants of Germany quite correctly assess the foreign policy situation.

“Indeed, the withdrawal of the US military is unlikely to somehow negatively affect the security of Germany, because no one is going to attack Germany, despite all the political mantras about Russian intervention and the threat from Moscow, which some biased politicians repeat. In addition, Germany is protected by the relevant paragraph of the NATO charter and the allied obligations of the member countries of this organization, ”Kamkin recalled.

In addition, he noted that the majority of Germans support a more independent foreign policy line from Berlin.

“The results of the survey suggest that the Germans advocate a more active role for their own armed forces, for moving away from the hegemony of the“ big brother ”towards gaining full sovereignty, including in defense policy,” Kamkin said.

  • US Air Force flight over a castle in Germany near the Moselle River
  • © USAF / Newsmakers / Getty Images

According to him, Berlin has long been in search of its place in the international arena.

“Germany since the unification of the country has been looking for ways of self-identification on the world stage as a regional leader. She is good at economics. She also makes attempts to achieve the same political emancipation in the field of security and international relations, demanding in particular to expand the composition of the UN Security Council. It is for this purpose that Germany took an active part in resolving the crisis in the Balkans in the 1990s and today is participating in peacekeeping operations around the world, ”Kamkin emphasized.

The analyst also did not rule out that all this in the future could lead to the adjustment of the foreign policy of Germany.

“German politics after the Second World War and the formation of Germany is aimed at maintaining the image of Germany as a guarantor of peace. Politicians there adhere to the position that the threat of war should no longer come from German lands, but times are changing, a new generation of statesmen is coming. In order to mobilize public opinion and implement certain political projects, Germany’s foreign policy can be transformed, as a result of which the country will be able to claim the status of an important regional player not only economically, ”Kamkin said.

A similar point of view is shared by Kirill Koktysh.

“Surveys are conducted in order to develop a negotiation resource and find a space for bargaining. We see that Germany did not pass Nord Stream 2. So, she relies on these moods and beliefs. Showing loyalty in other things, Germany does not intend to demonstrate flexibility in relation to its own interests, ”the expert concluded.