The rift between Europe and America exceeds Trump’s withdrawal of 5,000 soldiers from Germany

German officials ignored US President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw 5,000 soldiers from their country, as a symbolic move, but analysts warn that the rift between the two sides of the Atlantic is even greater, leaving the European economy and security in an exposed and dangerous situation.

Analysts have warned that Trump’s recent increase in tariffs on European cars, his apparent retreat from plans to deploy long-range missiles in Germany, and the economic and military repercussions of the war in Iran will have a greater impact in the region.

Director of the Institute for Public International Policy, a think tank based in Berlin, Thorsten Benner, said: “All of this is much more than just the withdrawal of 5,000 soldiers as a symbolic move, as well as the rapid depletion of American arsenals, as a result of wasting huge amounts of valuable weapons in the Iranian war.”

Pivotal center

Senior officials at the US Defense Department (Pentagon) said that the Pentagon will withdraw a US Army brigade from Germany, within six or 12 months, days after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that the United States does not appear to have an exit strategy from the war in Iran.

Germany is a pivotal center for the presence of American forces in Europe, as the number of American forces on the Old Continent amounts to 85,000 soldiers, and there is a dense network of bases that help Washington extend its influence throughout the world. Ramstein Air Base, in southern Germany, has always been an essential logistical center for US operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Iran during the current year.

The announced withdrawal of American forces from Germany represents about 14% of the American forces present in Germany, which number about 36,000 soldiers at the present time, and it is much less than the reduction in forces that Trump tried to implement during his first term, which amounted to 12,000 soldiers, although most of these soldiers are serving in American military operations around the world, and are not present to protect Germany in the event of an attack.

For his part, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said: “It was expected that the United States would withdraw its forces from Europe, including Germany,” adding that Europe is already investing to fill this void. He added: “Germany is on the right track.”

As for the media services of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) on the “X” platform, it stated that Germany and the allies in “NATO” are now working with the United States to understand the details of Washington’s decision and the status of American forces in Germany. “NATO” explained: “This step confirms the need for Europe to continue to invest more in defense, and bear a greater share of responsibility for our common security,” adding that “NATO can still provide deterrence and defense.”

The biggest worry

What raises the greatest concern is the news of the United States’ decision not to deploy a battalion to operate Tomahawk cruise missiles and Dark Eagle hypersonic missiles in Germany, an agreement concluded by the administration of former US President Joe Biden in 2024 in an attempt to deter Russia from launching an attack on NATO after the start of the Ukraine war.

Officials in Berlin expected that the Trump administration would not adhere to this agreement, given that it had not announced its commitment to do so, according to what the director of the German Institute for Risk Analysis and International Security, Nico Lange, a former employee of the German Ministry of Defense, said.

Members of Congress in Washington, from both parties, criticized the announcement of the withdrawal of American forces from Germany as it would harm American interests.

Retired US Army Major General Gordon Davis, a former high-ranking NATO official, said: “Based on Congress’s reactions, the announcements were not fully coordinated, and will have a negative impact on NATO’s deterrence,” and stressed that the United States’ ability to respond quickly to any potential conflict in Europe or neighboring regions will also be affected.

For his part, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said: “The source of the greatest threat to countries on both sides of the Atlantic is not an external enemy, but the current disintegration of our alliance.” Tusk, who was a former president of the European Council, wrote on the “X” platform: “We must all do everything we can to stop this bad situation.”

German military spending

Under the Meretz government, Germany intensified its military spending and accelerated the pace of purchases with the aim of becoming the largest conventional military force in Europe by 2029. It also concluded an agreement with France to support the American nuclear umbrella.

Military analysts said that Berlin is moving steadily toward reducing its dependence on American military protection, but the dispute between Meretz and Trump was a necessary reminder of the extreme importance of this endeavor. However, the rapid depletion of the American arsenal during the Iran war created a dilemma for Europe, whose rearmament process is still slow, and depends on purchases from America, especially in vital areas such as air defense systems and long-range missiles. About “The Wall Street Journal”

• Members of Congress believed that withdrawing American forces from Germany would harm American interests.