Trump allegedly planning to pull troops out of Germany
According to US media, President Trump plans to withdraw nearly 9,500 of the 35,000 US soldiers stationed in Germany in September. The plans have yet to receive official confirmation, however. Journalists describe what the move says about German-American relations - and about the state of the US.
This is no partnership any longer
Frankfurter Rundschau sees Trump's announcement as a sign of the deep rift that has developed in German-American relations:
“There is controversy over the US withdrawal from the INF Treaty on Medium-Range Nuclear Weapons, the announced withdrawal from the Open Skies Treaty, how to deal with Iran and the level of military spending. The Trump administration increasingly expects blind allegiance. But the German government is less and less willing to give it - which the man in the White House acknowledges with renewed anger. None of this has anything to do with partnership anymore. If Trump wins the election in November, the alliance will probably be beyond saving.”
A shot in the foot
The withdrawal of troops will hurt the US more than it will hurt Germany, Der Standard is convinced:
“The decision, which Washington did not even inform Berlin about, stands to further worsen the relationship between the two Nato members. Tens of thousands of jobs depend on the US military presence in Germany, which is still considered an important security guarantee in German military circles. Nevertheless the country will be able to cope with the withdrawal. The US Army, by contrast, would be much harder hit. The ultra-modern bases in Germany are of great strategic and operational value for it. Poland, where some of the 9,500 soldiers are supposed to move to, can't offer the same quality. That's why Ben Hodges, former US commander in Europe, talks of a 'colossal mistake'.”
US demonstrating its powerlessness
Ria Novosti contradicts critics of Trump in the US who say the withdrawal of troops from Germany is 'a gift to the Kremlin':
“In the official US world view, the presence of US troops on German soil is seen as a kind of magic amulet that protects Berlin and Munich from Russian tanks, 'green men annexing the Crimea' and the 'Russian occupation'. ... To us (like many Europeans) such a logic seems ridiculous and absurd. ... The only advantage of this decision for Russia is that Washington is demonstrating its inability to effectively exert pressure on Germany. And this has a negative impact on the perception of the US as a global leader.”