US Department of Defense spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said the planned partial withdrawal of troops from Germany would have a positive effect on NATO’s combat effectiveness and strengthen Russia's “containment”. A Pentagon official statement is posted on his Twitter page.
“Yesterday, the Minister of Defense and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff informed the president about the planned redeployment of 9.5 thousand troops from Germany. This approved proposal will not only meet the requirements of the presidential decree, but will also help contain Russia, strengthen NATO, calm the allies, increase strategic flexibility of the USA and the operational flexibility of the European command of the US Armed Forces, and take care of our troops and their families, ”said Hoffman .
According to a Pentagon spokesman, in the coming weeks the leadership of the military department is going to discuss a plan to reduce the US contingent in Germany with the relevant congressional committees and allies in the alliance.
“Gift” for Russia
Meanwhile, there is no consensus on this issue in the United States Parliament. Claims to the intention of Donald trump to reduce the military presence in Germany are in the camp of the Republican Party.
Thus, a bipartisan group of senators led by Republican Mitt Romney proposed an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act. It limits the Pentagon in the use of funds to reduce the number of troops serving in Germany.
If the amendment is approved, the Secretary of Defense will have to coordinate with Congress the amount of funds for the transfer of troops from Germany and prove to parliamentarians that the implementation of this measure will not undermine the combat effectiveness of the US armed forces and the security of their allies.
Romney himself takes an extremely negative position on the withdrawal of 9.5 thousand troops from Germany. According to the senator, the reduction of the American contingent will be a “gift” for Russia, worsen the combat effectiveness of NATO, create serious logistical problems and prevent US troops from conducting exercises.
Democratic Senator Tim Kane criticized Trump's desire to reduce the number of American soldiers in the context of "continued Russian aggression." The lawmaker argues that a decrease in Washington's military presence will expand the capabilities of opponents.
A similar view is held by Democratic Senator Gene Shahin. According to her, Germany is an important hub for military operations. Trump’s actions, she believes, could cause "lasting damage to our transatlantic relationship."
On June 30, Democrat Adam Smith, head of the US House of Representatives Armed Forces committee, criticized a plan to reduce US contingent. He doubts his strategic viability and insists on the need to block the intentions of the head of the White House until he receives clear explanations from Trump and the Pentagon.
- Soldiers of the 41st US Artillery Brigade in Germany
- AFP
- © Christof Stache
“It is possible that there is still an option in which the transfer of troops from Germany meets the interests of our national security. But the president has not yet given such arguments, just like the Ministry of Defense. The president acts extremely inconsistently, ”Smith told reporters.
Experts note that Trump’s initiative to partially withdraw troops from the Federal Republic of Germany has come up against serious congressional resistance. Also, the parliamentarians of the two parties expect to receive clear answers on the further deployment of 9.5 thousand American soldiers who are supposed to leave Germany, and a possible change in the balance of forces in Europe.
“At the moment, it is known that part of the troops should be sent to Poland. However, there is no exact information either on the number of these troops, or on what basis they will be there - rotational or permanent, ”retired Major General Pavel Zolotaryov, a member of the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy, said in an interview with RT.
"Punishment" of Berlin
Information about Trump's intention to reduce the US military presence in Germany appeared in the Western media in early June and later found confirmation in statements by officials. On June 15, speaking at the White House, Trump announced that the US contingent would be reduced to 25 thousand. Currently, there are 34.5 thousand American troops in Germany.
The president of the United States motivated his decision by Berlin’s reluctance to increase defense spending, despite NATO's instructions on the need to spend 2% of GDP on the army. According to Trump, Germany gives billions of dollars to Russia (meaning money to buy energy from the Russian Federation) and at the same time enjoys American military patronage.
In response, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, in an interview with The Guardian and five other European media outlets, said that maintaining the US military’s military presence in Central Europe is in Washington’s interests.
Merkel also promised to "spend more on defense", although in the coming years Berlin is not going to comply with the alliance norm on military spending. As Germany’s defense secretary Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer previously wrote on Twitter, Germany will only reach 2% of GDP by 2031.
Experts noted that the reduction of the American contingent in Germany is a kind of “punishment” of Berlin for a position on budget spending and the implementation of the Nord Stream - 2 gas pipeline project. Washington is weakening the military-political alliance with Germany, hoping in this way to exert pressure on it.
“In my opinion, with the withdrawal of troops, Trump is creating the foundation in order to be able to present the FRG with a security bill. The amount of claims may amount to hundreds of billions of dollars. He makes it clear that Berlin runs the risk of getting big problems if it does not begin to appreciate American efforts and follow its NATO commitments, ”Vladimir Vasiliev, the chief researcher at the US and Canada Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, explained in an interview with RT.
Another factor of pressure on Berlin, the analyst believes, is Trump’s decision to transfer part of the troops from Germany to Poland. This was announced by the US president on June 24 at a joint press conference with his Polish counterpart, Andrzej Duda.
“Flirting with Poland, Trump hints to Berlin that it is Warsaw that could eventually become the new flagship or NATO leader. Thus, Poland will rise a notch above Germany and will play a more significant role in European affairs. Such an approach is a form of humiliation in Germany, ”says Vasiliev.
Experts fear that the redeployment of US troops to Poland will become an additional challenge for Russia, complicate the already tense relations between Moscow and NATO, and generally worsen the security of Europe. Analysts are particularly worried about the fate of tactical nuclear weapons, which have been stationed in Germany since the Cold War.
- US and Polish Presidents Donald Trump and Andrzej Duda at a White House press conference
- Reuters
- © Carlos Barria
Duda claims that this topic “has never been the subject of conversation” with Trump, although in mid-May, the US ambassador to Warsaw, Georgette Mosbacher, made it possible to transfer the atomic arsenal from Germany to Poland. Today in Germany there are up to 20 tactical nuclear bombs B61.
“It is too early to put an end to this issue. In addition, America first started talking about the possibility of transferring nuclear weapons to Poland. And it seems to me that this option cannot be ruled out. Moreover, we don’t know from which areas of Germany the troops will be redeployed, what weapons they have, ”said Vasiliev.
In turn, Pavel Zolotarev drew attention to the significant difficulties that the Pentagon will face in implementing the Trump plan. The expert is confident that the activities associated with the transfer of US troops will result in large budget expenditures and a new round of tension in Europe.
“Trump wants to reduce the cost of maintaining troops in Europe, but he is unlikely to succeed - at least in the short term. Washington cannot avoid the serious cost of a redeployment of forces. But the phrase of the Pentagon representative about the “containment” of Russia suggests that there will still be a lot of American troops in Poland, bordering the Russian Federation. This state of affairs does not bode well for relations between Moscow and NATO, ”concluded Pavel Zolotarev.