The German government has responded with demonstrative composure to US President Donald Trump's threats to withdraw American troops from Germany. Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (CDU) pointed to shared interests and the strategic importance of US military bases in Germany on Thursday. The SPD echoed similar sentiments. The opposition accused Merz of provoking Trump against Germany with "reckless" statements.
The Chancellor had drawn the US President's displeasure with his criticism of the Iran war. In response, Trump announced on Wednesday a possible reduction in US troop strength in Germany. A decision would "be made shortly," Trump declared on his Truth Social platform.
In response, Merz emphasized the importance of German-American relations on Thursday. "This transatlantic partnership is especially close to my heart," the Chancellor said during a visit to the army in Munster, Lower Saxony. He simultaneously highlighted the increased German and European defense spending: "This is a contribution to a renewed transatlantic partnership."
The federal government remains in "close and trusting contact with our partners, especially in Washington" on all questions related to the Iran war, the Chancellor confirmed. "We do this in the common transatlantic interest, we do it with mutual respect and fair burden-sharing."
Meanwhile, according to Wadephul, the federal government is already preparing for a reduction in US military presence in Germany. "We are prepared for this, we are talking closely and trustingly in all NATO bodies about it and are expecting American decisions," the Foreign Minister said in the Moroccan capital Rabat. Previous US administrations had also announced a review of their troop presence.
He views a possible troop reduction "with composure," Wadephul emphasized. The Bundeswehr and the European pillar of NATO are being strengthened precisely because "we know that we must take on more security responsibility."
The major US military bases in Germany are "not at all in question," Wadephul said. For instance, the Ramstein Air Base has "an irreplaceable function for both the USA and us." This also applies to the US hospital in Landstuhl, the training area in Grafenwöhr, and the US headquarters in Stuttgart.
The foreign policy spokesman for the SPD parliamentary group, Adis Ahmetovic, also advised composure. "A withdrawal would hardly be feasible in the short term," Ahmetovic declared. It would also "significantly impair the global operational capability of the US armed forces in the medium to long term and contradict American security interests."
For Europe, the central task remains "to strengthen our security policy independence quickly and substantially."
CDU defense politician Roderich Kiesewetter emphasized that their troops in Europe are indispensable for the USA. "The approximately 36,000 US soldiers in Germany primarily serve American interests: the large hospital in Landstuhl, the strategic hub Ramstein, the Grafenwöhr training area." These locations support, among other things, US operations in the Middle East and "global American power projection."
The Greens accused Chancellor Merz of foreign policy inconsistency. Green parliamentary deputy Agnieszka Brugger said on Thursday that while it was fundamentally correct for Merz to openly criticize Trump's Iran war, the Chancellor "stands out with ill-conceived, spontaneous and contradictory statements."
According to Left Party faction leader Sören Pellmann, "a withdrawal of all US troops from Germany would of course be welcome." However, Merz's criticism of Trump is "not really to be taken seriously," Pellmann told AFP. "If he really cares about the peace and security of Germany, he should push for the closure of US military bases and issue a flight ban for US aircraft involved in the war against Iran."
The AfD accused Merz of harming Germany's security interests with his critical statements about Trump.
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