German officials were caught flat-footed and outraged after President Donald Trump's administration moved to reduce the number of U.S. troops stationed in that country.
According to Politico, "Taking out American forces could remove a major military deterrent against a rearming Russia, which European officials believe is preparing to attack NATO soil in the coming years. And Trump’s threats have made European officials, who are already making plans to try to reopen the Strait of Hormuz without Trump, even more sick of America playing hostage diplomacy with allies. Even a review of U.S. troops in Germany could further ignite tensions in the alliance after several NATO members denied the Pentagon access to their bases for the Iran war."
One German official said of the withdrawal, “Trump’s policy of crude threats has reached its limits. His rhetoric has worn thin. Withdrawing U.S. troops from Germany would severely weaken the U.S. itself, and we wonder when the adults in D.C. plan to step back into the spotlight.”
Even on the U.S. side, Pentagon officials were taken aback at Trump's announcement on Thursday morning, and reportedly worked behind the scenes frantically to determine whether the president was serious.
Trump has spent much of both of his terms in office openly hostile to fellow countries in the NATO alliance, accusing them of not pulling their weight, and the war in Iran, combined with some NATO countries' refusal to allow the use of their bases for that operation, only fueled his anger.
This comes after reports that Trump and his officials were researching ways to punish NATO members who did this, like Spain, even including the possibility of suspension from the alliance altogether.
