Trump’s threat to pull troops from Germany risks eroding US power projection

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.President Trump says he is weighing whether to reduce the number of U.S. troops stationed in Germany. If he goes ahead, it would reshape the military presence that has allowed America to project power in Europe, the Middle East and beyond.Trump’s remarks came amid a spat with German Chancellor Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who told a group of students that the U.S.

had no discernible strategy to end the war with Iran and that Tehran had humiliated Washington.Merz struck a conciliatory tone on Thursday, saying Germany was in close contact with Washington regarding the conflict in Iran and stood ready to participate in a European mission to secure the Strait of Hormuz once hostilities had ceased.“You know this: The trans-Atlantic partnership is of particular importance to me,” he said during a tour of a military training facility in western Germany.The U.S. bases in Germany have played critical supporting roles for the American military in conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan and the current war in Iran. A move to substantially reduce troop numbers in Germany could shake the foundation of a setup that has benefited the U.S.

as much as it has Europe, say former military officials and analysts.“U. S. troops in Germany and Europe are not there to guard Germans,” said retired U.S.

Army Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, a former commander of the U.S.

Army in Europe. American assets such as logistics operations and training areas “are for the U.S., not for anyone else,” he said.While Trump’s warning was echoed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the president’s comments caught some senior U.S. military officers by surprise, according to people familiar with the matter.The Pentagon’s National Defense Strategy stressed