Donald Trump confirmed on Monday that he wanted to significantly reduce the number of US soldiers stationed in Germany, appearing to use European security as a lever in his trade negotiations with Berlin.
The American president assured the press that 52,000 American soldiers were currently stationed in Germany, the main anchor of American NATO forces. "It is a huge cost for the United States," he added. "So we will reduce the number, we will bring it to 25,000."
The number of soldiers permanently deployed in Germany was in fact only 34,674 in March 2020, according to official figures from the Pentagon. But this figure can rise exceptionally to 52,000 during rotations or military exercises. The American bases in Germany serve in fact as a stopover for the forces deployed in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, which can temporarily increase the numbers.
Lever for trade negotiations
The first reports of this Trump administration project had caused concern in Berlin when it was published by the Wall Street Journal earlier this month. The figure announced by Donald Trump on Monday actually matches the newspaper's estimates, which suggested a reduction of 9,500 soldiers to bring their number to 25,000. Although the military has shrunk since the Cold War, Germany is home to more American soldiers than any other European country, a legacy of the Allied occupation after the Second World War.
The resurgence of Russia's military ambitions under the presidency of Vladimir Putin has given the American presence a new importance, but Donald Trump justified his decision by the fact that Germany does not contribute enough to the NATO budget . "Germany has arrears, they have been in arrears for years and they owe billions of dollars to NATO, and they have to pay," he said. "We are protecting Germany and they have arrears, it's ridiculous."
In addition, the American president criticized the first economic power of the European Union for "treating the United States very badly" in commercial matters. "We are negotiating with them on this but I am not happy with the agreement they are proposing," he said. "They have cost the United States hundreds of billions of dollars over the years in trade, so it hurts us in trade and it hurts us in NATO."
"Preventing another world war"
He accused Germany of profiting from the American military presence. "They are well paid soldiers. They live in Germany, they spend tons of money in Germany, "he said. “All around these bases, it is very rich. Germany benefits. "
The US Congress has expressed concern that such a downsizing signals a lower American commitment to European defense within the framework of NATO. The move "will further encourage Russia's aggressiveness and expediency," 22 Republican MPs said in an open letter last week. "We are convinced that NATO allies, Germany for example, should contribute more to our common defense efforts," said the elected members of the Armed Forces commission of the House of Representatives.
"At the same time, we also know that the advanced stationing of American forces since the end of the Second World War helped to prevent another world war and, above all, strengthened the security of the United States," they added.
Donald Trump's relationship with Angela Merkel, which has never been famous, has been somewhat strained since the German Chancellor declined the American President's invitation to participate in person at a G7 summit in June, due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Republican billionaire, who has his eye on the presidential election of November 3, wanted to put his world leadership forward with a G7 summit in Washington. After Angela Merkel's refusal, he postponed the summit, announcing his intention to invite Russia.
- NATO
- Angela Merkel
- Donald trump
- United States
- Germany
- World