European leaders see Trump’s troop drawdown from Germany as new proof they must go it alone
YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw thousands of people was sudden, European leaders said Monday. US troops withdraw from Germany It was a surprise, but a new sign that Europe must be concerned with its own security.
The Pentagon announced last week that it would withdraw about 5,000 troops from Germany, but Trump told reporters on Saturday that “we’re going to be withdrawing a lot less troops. And we’re going to cut a lot more than 5,000.”
He offered no reason for the moveThis decision, which caught NATO by surprise, came amid rising tensions Disagreement with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz the US-Israeli war against Iran and Trump’s anger at his European allies’ reluctance to become involved in the conflict in the Middle East.
Responding to a question about the decision to withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said: “I wouldn’t exaggerate that because I think we expect Europe to take more responsibility for its own security.
“I don’t find these figures dramatic, but I think they should be handled harmoniously within the framework of NATO,” he told reporters in Yerevan, Armenia, where European leaders are holding a summit.
Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, said, “There has been talk about the withdrawal of US troops from Europe for a long time. But of course, the timing of this announcement was a surprise.”
“I think this shows that we really need to strengthen the European leg of NATO,” he said.
When asked if he believed Trump was trying to punish Merz, who said he was humiliated by Iran in US talks to end the war, Kallas said: “I can’t see President Trump’s head, so he has to explain it himself.”
Over the weekend, NATO spokeswoman Allison Hart said officials in the 32-nation military alliance were “working with the United States to understand the details of their decisions regarding the force posture in Germany.”
European allies and Canada have known Trump would do this since he took office again last year. withdrawing its troops from Europe — some actually left Romania in October — but U.S. officials have vowed to coordinate any moves with NATO allies to prevent the creation of a security vacuum.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte downplayed the move, saying there was “disappointment on the US side at this point” over European support for the war against Iran.
France, Spain, and the United Kingdom in particular have refused to give US forces free rein to use bases on their territory to attack Iran. Spain refused them the use of its airspace and bases there for war.
But Rutte, who defended Trump’s leadership in NATO despite the US president criticizing the majority of allies, said: “I can say that the Europeans have heard a message. They are now making sure that all bilateral basing agreements are implemented.”
Rutte added that European nations “decided to pre-position assets, key assets, close to the field for the next phase.”
He gave no details, but insisted the Europeans would not help control the Strait of Hormuz, a key energy trade route, until the war was over.
French President Emmanuel Macron said: “If the United States is ready to reopen Hormuz, that’s great. This is what we wanted all along.” However, he underlined that the Europeans were not ready to participate in any operation “that is not clear to us”.
In another sign of friction with Merz, Trump accused the EU of failing to comply with the US trade deal and announced plans to do so. increase tariffs Next week, the proportion of cars and trucks produced in the bloc will increase to 25%; It’s a move that would be particularly damaging to Germany, a major automaker.
Without mentioning Trump or the United States, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen listed the bloc’s recent trade deals with Australia and India, and one it is currently working on with Mexico.
“You have stable, reliable supply chains with like-minded friends, and Europe has the largest network of free trade agreements,” von der Leyen, visiting from Germany, told reporters.
___
Cook reported from Brussels.
