Trump orders massive cut in US troops in Germany, handing blow to already struggling Nato alliance

‘It is not that surprising that Trump and Chancellor Merkel do not see eye to eye on many things. She is everything that he seems not to like, a strong leader upholding neo-liberal values,’ diplomat tells Kim Sengupta

Trump and Merkel do not see eye to eye on many things (AFP/Getty)

While Donald Trump was warning that he would unleash the US military on their fellow citizens taking part in protest marches at home, he was also ordering changes to troop deployment abroad, which would have far-reaching international repercussions.

The US president’s threat to use armed forces on demonstrations was the catalyst for unprecedented and withering condemnation from renowned former commanders. Generals James Mattis and John Allen and Admiral Mike Mullen were among those who publicly warned that Trump was now a danger to the nation.

Now it has emerged that Trump has demanded the permanent withdrawal of more than a quarter of American forces based in Germany. This has been done, it appears, with little consultation with fellow Nato members. The move is also said to be against the wishes of senior figures in the Pentagon and the State Department. White House officials, however, dispute this claim.

The US president’s projected removal of 9,500 of the troops means that 27.5 per cent of the total US military personnel would leave Germany.

The president also plans to limit the maximum number of troops in Germany to 25,000. The current total is 34,700, with contingency plan to raise it to 50,000 if necessary.

Trump’s measures on the military came a week after a fractious telephone call with Angela Merkel during which the German Chancellor told him that she would not be attending the G7 summit being hosted in the US because of coronavirus.

Trump and first lady Melania Trump greet members of the military at Ramstein Air Base, Germany (AP)

The conversation, according to reports in the German media and Western diplomats, ended early after a near monologue from Trump during which he complained about the World Health Organisation, Nato and the European Union.

The withdrawal of American troops is due to be completed by September, in time for the US presidential election two months later. Trump is also drawing down forces Afghanistan despite warning this would embolden the Taliban to carry our more attacks. There is also talk that the military presence in South Korea would be reduced. The president’s campaign team is expected to try and capitalise on him bringing troops home from costly foreign missions.

At least part of the US contingent in Germany is expected to be moved to Nato states in the Baltic and eastern Europe bordering Russia. Mateusz Morawiecki, the Polish prime minister, said he hoped some of them would be reassigned to his country in the future.

Nato officials say they will examine details of US plans before deciding on whether any force rebalancing is necessary and if other member states will have to step forward.

The British Army of the Rhine once had 20,000 personnel, but the numbers have been drastically cut over the years. The last headquarters, at Bielefeld, was handed over to German authorities three months ago, and only a relatively small force is set to stay on under current arrangements.

There has been muted response so far from the German government to the withdrawal, which was first revealed by the Wall Street Journal and subsequently unofficially confirmed by American officials. Ministries in Berlin stated they are waiting for an official announcement from Washington. Foreign minister Heiko Maas said the US was a “close transatlantic partner: but it’s complicated”.

But there has been unusually strong reaction from senior members of the ruling Christian Democratic Union (CDU) to what Trump has done. Diplomats believe that the fierce criticism Trump is facing domestically has encouraged politicians in Europe to be more robust in confronting him.

German MPs from the CDU charge that vital US and Western security policy is now being shaped by Trump’s personal animus and agenda.

Norbert Röttgen, chairman of the foreign affairs committee and a possible successor to Merkel as Chancellor, commented: “‘America First’ seems to have morphed into ‘Trump First’. It’s all about him, it’s not about a vision of the world, not about politics, it’s about him, about his need for validation – and sometimes his need for revenge. He is nervous and under pressure and the tighter it gets for him, the more critical the situation is for him, the more he will lash out.”

US soldiers sit in a tank type ‘M1A2 SEP’ during the exercise ‘Strong Europe Tank Challenge 2017’ at the exercise area in Grafenwoehr, Germany (AFP/Getty)

Andreas Nick, a member of the Bundestag, said that the lack of any announcement from the Pentagon – which referred all inquiries to the White House – was evidence “that the decision was purely politically motivated.” Fellow MP Johann Wadephul added that the development illustrated “once again that the Trump administration is disregarding an elementary task of leadership: the involvement of allies in the decision-making process… It’s yet another wake-up call for us Europeans to take our fate into our own hands.”

Trump has frequently denounced other Nato member states for their supposed failure to spend enough of their GDP on defence, overburdening the US with costs for the Alliance. But his relations with Merkel has become particularly fraught with the Chancellor robustly rebutting attacks from the White House, and defending Nato, the European Union and other multilateral organisations.

Trump has also repeatedly criticised Germany over Nord Stream 2, an undersea pipeline, which will bring increased Russian gas supplies to Europe. The president has signed a law, which will impose sanctions on any company that helps with the project. The vehemence of Trump’s opposition on the pipeline has caused surprise as the president has seemed loathed to criticise Russia, and especially Vladimir Putin, over virtually anything, adding to the belief that he was Muscovian candidate for the White House.

There has been speculation that it is not in the interest of some of the president’s financial backers for the project to be completed.

A former British diplomat who had served in Germany said: “It is not that surprising that Trump and Chancellor Merkel do not see eye to eye on many things. She is everything that he seems not to like, a strong leader upholding neo-liberal values. But she is retiring, and Trump may not be there in six months time. Relations between the two countries have been strong in the past and it will hopefully return to that in the future.”