U.S. to withdraw about 12,000 troops from Germany but nearly half to stay in Europe

By Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali

 

FILE PHOTO: A general view of Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) Headquarters building near Mons, Belgium July 2, 2018. SHAPE/Nic Edouard Bocquet/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. military on Wednesday unveiled plans to withdraw about 12,000 troops from Germany, in fallout from President Donald Trump's long-simmering feud with Berlin but said it will keep nearly half of those forces in Europe to address tension with Russia.

 

Trump announced his intention last month to cut by about a third the 36,000-strong U.S. troop contingent in Germany, faulting the close U.S. ally for failing to meet NATO's defense spending target and accusing it of taking advantage of the United States on trade.

 

"We don't want to be the suckers any more," Trump told reporters at the White House on Wednesday about the decision. "We're reducing the force because they're not paying their bills; it's very simple."

 

Defense Secretary Mark Esper has not portrayed the pullout in those terms and said the military's plan would prevent the troop movements from undermining NATO and its efforts to deter Russian intervention, following Moscow's 2014 annexation of the Crimean Peninsula.

 

In remarks likely to irk Moscow, Esper said some U.S. troops would reposition to the Black Sea region and some could temporarily deploy in waves to the Baltics.

 

Other forces leaving Germany would permanently move to Italy and the U.S. military's European headquarters would relocate from Stuttgart, Germany, to Belgium.

 

In total, just under 6,000 troops of the 12,000 leaving Germany are expected to remain in Europe. Many of the other forces will be based in the United States but will rotate into Europe for temporary deployments without their families.

 

"I'm telling you that this is going to accomplish what the president said with regard to getting us down to a lower number in Europe, and it meets his other objectives I outlined with regards to the strategic piece," Esper said.

 

IRE IN GERMANY, GLEE IN BALTICS

U.S. officials stressed that only a relatively small number of advanced units would move anytime soon. The rest of the troop movements would take years to fully implement, in part given the potentially billions of dollars in additional cost.

 

The U.S. military unveiled details of its plans on Wednesday to withdraw about 12,000 troops from Germany following a decision by President Donald Trump. The U.S. said it plans to keep nearly half of them in Europe to address poterntial tensions with Russia. Adam Reed reports.

 

 

Still, the moves out of Germany represent a remarkable rebuke to one of the closest U.S. military allies and trading partners, while two beneficiaries, Italy and Belgium, are low-spending alliance members, according to NATO data.

 

Norbert Roettgen, chairman of the German parliament's foreign affairs committee and an ally of Chancellor Angela Merkel, said the troop withdrawal from Germany "will weaken the (NATO) alliance."

 

But NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg struck an upbeat tone in a statement, saying allies had been briefed by the United States. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda told Reuters that his country was ready to accept more American soldiers.

 

"I value very favorably the news that the U.S. mentioned possibility of moving some troops to the Baltic countries," Nauseda said.

 

U.S. Republican Senator Mitt Romney, who has been critical of Trump, said the plan to remove troops from Germany was a "grave error." "It is a slap in the face at a friend and ally," Romney said in a statement.

 

If he is elected president in November, Democrat Joe Biden will review the Republican incumbent's decision to withdraw the troops from Germany, a top Biden aide told Reuters earlier this month.

 

Since World War Two, the U.S. military has considered Germany to be one of its most strategic locations overseas, and it serves as a critical logistics hub for troop movements not just within Europe, but to the Middle East, Africa and beyond.

 

Following the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, however, the number of U.S. troops in Germany has been steadily reduced from some 200,000.

 

(Reporting by Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali; Additional reporting by Alexandra Alper, Robin Emmott, Andrius Sytas and Michael Nienaber; Editing by Chris Reese, Jonathan Oatis and Lisa Shumaker)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-07-30

 

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2 hours ago, webfact said:

Other forces leaving Germany would permanently move to Italy and the U.S. military's European headquarters would relocate from Stuttgart, Germany, to Belgium.

Will Defense Secretary have the grapefruit to tell Trump that Italy and Belgium contribute even less than Germany to NATO's defense spending. 

What in God's name are 36,000 U.S. troops doing in Germany 75 years after the Second World War ended? 

Or is the Russian Bear still hibernating?

Mighty expensive tantrum trumps having with the German chancellor but probably a moot point not enough time to get it done before he’s out

36 minutes ago, ratcatcher said:

What in God's name are 36,000 U.S. troops doing in Germany 75 years after the Second World War ended? 

Or is the Russian Bear still hibernating?

These are wars and conflicts that Russia Federation are involved. You can make up your mind whether the Russian Bear is hibernating and really nothing to fear in Europe. 
1. Georgian Civil War (1991-1993)

2. war in Abkhazia (1991-1993)

3. Transnistria War (1992)

4. East Prigorodny Conflict (1992)

5. Tajikistan Civil War (1992-1997)

6. Chechen wars (1994 & 1999)

7. War of Dagestan (1999)

8. Russo-Georgian War (2008)

9. Insurgency in North Caucasus (2009-2017)

10. Invasion of Ukraine (2014-present)

 

courtesy of wiki. 

51 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

These are wars and conflicts that Russia Federation are involved. You can make up your mind whether the Russian Bear is hibernating and really nothing to fear in Europe. 
1. Georgian Civil War (1991-1993)

2. war in Abkhazia (1991-1993)

3. Transnistria War (1992)

4. East Prigorodny Conflict (1992)

5. Tajikistan Civil War (1992-1997)

6. Chechen wars (1994 & 1999)

7. War of Dagestan (1999)

8. Russo-Georgian War (2008)

9. Insurgency in North Caucasus (2009-2017)

10. Invasion of Ukraine (2014-present)

 

courtesy of wiki. 

Thanks for the information. I am surprised the European Union and the membership are unable to offer a united resistance to any aggression from Moscow.

2 hours ago, ratcatcher said:

What in God's name are 36,000 U.S. troops doing in Germany 75 years after the Second World War ended? 

Or is the Russian Bear still hibernating?

 

Could be the USA presence in Europe is one of them reasons keeping the bear away.

1 hour ago, Eric Loh said:

These are wars and conflicts that Russia Federation are involved. You can make up your mind whether the Russian Bear is hibernating and really nothing to fear in Europe. 
1. Georgian Civil War (1991-1993)

2. war in Abkhazia (1991-1993)

3. Transnistria War (1992)

4. East Prigorodny Conflict (1992)

5. Tajikistan Civil War (1992-1997)

6. Chechen wars (1994 & 1999)

7. War of Dagestan (1999)

8. Russo-Georgian War (2008)

9. Insurgency in North Caucasus (2009-2017)

10. Invasion of Ukraine (2014-present)

 

courtesy of wiki. 

Ah, that's why he's moving headquarters and troops further away from Russia.

 

As far as I am concerned, please move the troops out.

23 minutes ago, Morch said:

 

Could be the USA presence in Europe is one of them reasons keeping the bear away.

Good point, but are the 27 countries in the EU unable to present some sort of defense force or is Uncle Sam destined to be the policeman of the world forever at their own cost?

very funny timing, he just had a phone conversation with Vlad who may have asked for the troops to be removed, the same Vlad that asked/advised Trump to stop Nato membership, same Vlad that advised/suggested Trump to pull US troops out of Syria/Iraq....wonder what Vlad has on Trump, it must be heavy stuff

7 minutes ago, ratcatcher said:

Good point, but are the 27 countries in the EU unable to present some sort of defense force or is Uncle Sam destined to be the policeman of the world forever at their own cost?

 

Uncle Sam's military is stronger than the EU's forces combined. And that's disregarding the fact that the "union" bit is somewhat of an illusion. There are European military forces, of course, but guess you already knew that.

 

As for the latter part - being top dog, it sort of comes with the territory.

3 hours ago, Eric Loh said:

Will Defense Secretary have the grapefruit to tell Trump that Italy and Belgium contribute even less than Germany to NATO's defense spending. 

Italy and Belgium are not a threat to Vladimir, thus not mention on Vlad's phone call

Please don't blame Trump, he's just doing his boss's bidding.....

2 minutes ago, Mavideol said:

very funny timing, he just had a phone conversation with Vlad who may have asked for the troops to be removed, the same Vlad that asked/advised Trump to stop Nato membership, same Vlad that advised/suggested Trump to pull US troops out of Syria/Iraq....wonder what Vlad has on Trump, it must be heavy stuff

 

I kinda doubt it's got much to do with Putin, as troops pullout and redeployment would take years. More to do with the elections campaign, probably.

2 minutes ago, Mavideol said:

Italy and Belgium are not a threat to Vladimir, thus not mention on Vlad's phone call

 

By themselves, none of the European members of NATO (save for the nuclear capable UK and France) are much of a threat to Russia.

10 minutes ago, KarenBravo said:

Please don't blame Trump, he's just doing his boss's bidding.....

 

Yep. putin just wet himself. He can always rely on Useful Idiot #1.

 

 

3 hours ago, Tug said:

Mighty expensive tantrum trumps having with the German chancellor but probably a moot point not enough time to get it done before he’s out

Trump's just Biden his time until November.. 

5 hours ago, webfact said:

"We're reducing the force because they're not paying their bills; it's very simple."

If everything would be so simple. The reality is, that many things they are included in the US military budget in Germany are included in other budgets. Also the USA are forcing wars in Syria, Iraq and so on but Europe has to pay Billions for the refugees or to Turkey that the country doesn´t let the refugees pass.

3 hours ago, ratcatcher said:

What in God's name are 36,000 U.S. troops doing in Germany 75 years after the Second World War ended? 

Or is the Russian Bear still hibernating?

 

It's not 75 years ago since the Soviet Union collapsed and the Berlin Wall came down. 

14 minutes ago, CNXexpat said:

If everything would be so simple. The reality is, that many things they are included in the US military budget in Germany are included in other budgets. Also the USA are forcing wars in Syria, Iraq and so on but Europe has to pay Billions for the refugees or to Turkey that the country doesn´t let the refugees pass.

 

Germany doesn't and hasn't met it's committed amount of spend as per NATO agreement. End of. 

 

 

4 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

Germany doesn't and hasn't met it's committed amount of spend as per NATO agreement. End of. 

 

 

 

End of....what?

48 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

It's not 75 years ago since the Soviet Union collapsed and the Berlin Wall came down. 

Gosh, thanks for that, it's not often I have a Biden moment. 30 years more like. 

Trump must be a very busy whatever these days. Putin has seen writing on the wall, given Trump a long "to do" list & "get it done before next January" marching orders.

An off topic post has been removed. 

There was a time when the far left would support

this!

Correction: Far left Americans

 

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/democrats-bring-troops-home-next-year/

Edited July 30, 20205 yr by riclag

11 minutes ago, riclag said:

There was a time when the far left would support this!

 

 

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/democrats-bring-troops-home-next-year/

I am far from far left, but please, take them all home.

12 minutes ago, stevenl said:

I am far from far left, but please, take them all home.

 

12 minutes ago, stevenl said:

I am far from far left, but please, take them all home.

I could care less what you are ,I wasn't directing my comment  to you

Edited July 30, 20205 yr by riclag

4 hours ago, ratcatcher said:

Thanks for the information. I am surprised the European Union and the membership are unable to offer a united resistance to any aggression from Moscow.

They want gas from Moscow, because they're running out of energy. So, easy meat for Moscow. 

Edited July 30, 20205 yr by micmichd

22 minutes ago, riclag said:

 

I could care less what you are ,I wasn't directing my comment  to you

Then why were you posting if you didn't direct your comment to tvf users.

5 hours ago, Eric Loh said:

These are wars and conflicts that Russia Federation are involved. You can make up your mind whether the Russian Bear is hibernating and really nothing to fear in Europe. 
1. Georgian Civil War (1991-1993)

2. war in Abkhazia (1991-1993)

3. Transnistria War (1992)

4. East Prigorodny Conflict (1992)

5. Tajikistan Civil War (1992-1997)

6. Chechen wars (1994 & 1999)

7. War of Dagestan (1999)

8. Russo-Georgian War (2008)

9. Insurgency in North Caucasus (2009-2017)

10. Invasion of Ukraine (2014-present)

 

courtesy of wiki. 

So what? Why is the US involved at all militarily in other nations' business? Even if one side in a civil war, asks for US help, that help should arrive in the form of humanitarian aid, peacekeeping, and diplomatic overtures. Really, are we not our of the caves yet? Has any war ever solved anything permanently? Consider that closely. All the issues underlying the conflict are still present. So instead of working it out like civilised people, we prefer to shoot first, and said said by the Marines, "Kill 'em all & let God sort 'em out". Utter folly.

 

Biden was Obama's warmaker. If he's made President, he'll continue the extravagant military stupidity which has characterised foreign relation since Korea.

Edited July 30, 20205 yr by unblocktheplanet
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