Germany Remains Calm After Trump's Threat to Cut US Troops in Its Territory
Germany has stated that it is prepared for the possibility of a reduction in United States (US) troops following threats from President Donald Trump. Germany emphasised the importance of a reliable transatlantic partnership.
Quoted from AFP on Thursday (30/4), Trump said that the US is considering relocating some of the tens of thousands of US troops stationed in Germany amid a dispute with Chancellor Friedrich Merz regarding the war in Iran.
Speaking during a visit to Morocco, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said: “We are prepared for it, we are discussing it carefully and in a spirit of trust in all NATO bodies, and we expect a decision from America on this matter.”
Any decision would be “discussed with us and with other parties, as it should be among allies,” he said.
Merz had previously stated that Germany’s approach to the war in the Middle East “remains oriented towards a united NATO and a reliable transatlantic partnership.”
Berlin “is in close and trusting contact with our partners, including and especially in Washington,” he said, without directly mentioning Trump’s threat.
“We are doing this for our common transatlantic interests. We are doing it with mutual respect and fair burden-sharing,” he added.
“This transatlantic partnership is very close to our hearts—both for us as a whole and for me personally, as you know.”
Merz became the target of Trump’s anger after stating earlier this week that Iran had “embarrassed” Washington at the negotiating table. Trump said that Merz “thinks it’s okay for Iran to have Nuclear Weapons. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about!”
Subsequently, in a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the United States is considering reducing the number of its troops in Germany.
Wadephul said that the idea of reducing US troops “honestly, is not a new message at all,” adding that the prospect had been raised by previous US presidents.
Although describing himself as “relaxed” regarding the idea of reducing the number of US troops in Germany, Wadephul said that the major American bases in Germany “should not be questioned at all.” He said, for example, that Ramstein Air Base has an “irreplaceable function for the United States and for both of us.”