Trump Considers Pulling 35,000 Troops Out of Germany

Donald Trump is considering pulling US troops from Germany and redeploying them to Eastern Europe, The Telegraph has reported.

Mr Trump is weighing up withdrawing some 35,000 active personnel out of Germany in a move that would further sour US-Europe relations.

The US president, who has repeatedly warned that Europe must commit more to its defensive capabilities, is becoming increasingly frustrated that the continent is “pushing for war”, sources close to the administration said.

Around 160,000 active-duty personnel are stationed outside of the United States, a vast quantity of whom are in Germany.

“Trump is angry that they [Europe] appear to be pushing for war,” a source close to the White House said.

Brian Hughes, a US national security spokesman, said: “While no specific announcement is imminent, the US military is always considering the redeployment of troops around the world to best address current threats to our interests.”

The president is considering redeploying troops from Germany to Hungary.

At an emergency EU summit in Brussels on Thursday, Viktor Orbán, the Hungarian prime minister, vetoed a commitment to bolster support for Ukraine which was signed by all other member states.

Mr Orbán has maintained a relatively close relationship with Russia, often opposing EU sanctions on Moscow.

Mr Trump is said to be considering repositioning some US troops in Europe so they are focused around Nato countries that have upped their defence spending to meet GDP targets.

It is part of plans by the administration to redraw Nato engagement in a way that favours member countries with higher defence spending.

Mr Trump has repeatedly criticised Nato countries for not meeting the current two per cent spending goal, arguing that the disparity puts an unfair burden on the United States.

On Thursday, he suggested the US may not defend Nato allies who do not meet his spending targets as part of a major shake-up of the alliance.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, he said: “When I came to Nato, when I first had my first meeting, I noticed that people weren’t paying their bills at all, and I said I should wait till my second meeting.

“And I did. And I brought that up, and I said, ‘if you don’t pay your bills, we’re not going to participate. We’re not going to protect you.’

During his first term, Mr Trump ordered the withdrawal of almost 12,000 troops from Germany, where the US had several major military facilities including Ramstein Air Base, the headquarters for US European Command.

But the move was halted by Joe Biden amid widespread criticism from Congress.

Earlier this week, the two political parties expected to form the next German government agreed to loosen the country’s constitution restrictions on borrowing, enabling one trillion euros ($1.08 trillion) in spending on defence and infrastructure.

It is a major change in Germany’s debt-averse political culture, rejecting conventional economic wisdom that long dominated Europe’s biggest economy and one of the world’s wealthiest countries.

Fears that the US would pull its troops from the continent have been brewing for some time.

Ahead of the Munich Security Conference, head Christoph Heusgen said: “The US will likely announce a massive withdrawal of American soldiers from Europe.”

JD Vance, the vice-president, has floated the idea that America could reconsider its military presence in Germany, tying continued American defence commitments to Berlin’s stance on free speech.

Speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington last month, he said: “Germany’s entire defence is subsidised by the American taxpayer. There are thousands upon thousands of American troops in Germany today. Do you think that the American taxpayer is going to stand for that if you get thrown in jail in Germany for posting a mean tweet? Of course, they’re not.”

In January, it was reported that the president wants to reduce the American contingent in Europe by 20 per cent and plans to ask for a “financial contribution” for the maintenance of the remaining troops.

Europe, which has long feared that Mr Trump might cut them adrift, launched a day of emergency talks on Thursday in a bid to beef up their own security.

Twenty countries could join Sir Keir Starmer’s plan to deploy peacekeeping troops to Ukraine as part of a post-war settlement.

British officials said the group of countries, made up “largely of European and commonwealth partners”, held a fresh round of talks over the strategy.

Britain and France are leading efforts to form a so-called “coalition of the willing” prepared to put boots on the ground to uphold any agreement to end the three-year war between Russia and Ukraine.

The Prime Minister and Emmanuel Macron, the French president, on Friday night spoke to “compare notes” on their work to get a lasting peace in Ukraine, Downing Street said.

In Brussels, European leaders pressed ahead with their support for Ukraine despite Hungary’s veto.

“Achieving ‘peace through strength’ requires Ukraine to be in the strongest possible position, with Ukraine’s own robust military and defence capabilities as an essential component,” a joint statement said.

“The European Union remains committed, in coordination with like-minded partners and allies, to providing enhanced political, financial, economic, humanitarian, military and diplomatic support to Ukraine and its people.”