Influential Republicans ‘concerned’ by US troop withdrawal in Germany
- Influential Republicans express concern over US troop withdrawal from Germany, citing increased German defense spending and cooperation in Iran conflict.
Influential Republicans from both houses of Congress have reacted with scepticism to plans for a partial withdrawal of US troops from Germany.
“We are very concerned by the decision to withdraw a U.S. brigade from Germany,” Senator Roger Wicker and Representative Mike Rogers said in a joint statement released on Saturday.
Rogers chairs the House Armed Services Committee, while Wicker chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee.
In their statement, the lawmakers noted that Germany has responded to US President Donald Trump’s demands by significantly increasing defence spending. They also highlighted Berlin’s cooperation in the Iran conflict, including granting overflight rights.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced the pullback of around 5,000 US service members from bases in Germany. A Defense Department spokesman said the withdrawal is to be concluded within the next 12 months. The details remain unclear.
The decision follows a public spat between Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz earlier in the week. Merz made an unguarded comment suggesting the Iranian government has "humiliated" the US in negotiations, prompting an angry response from President Donald Trump.
Wrong signal to Putin
While allies are increasing defence spending, this has yet to translate into a credible deterrent, Rogers and Wicker argue. Until it does, they say, the United States should maintain a robust military presence on the ground.
A premature reduction of troops risks "undermining deterrence and sending the wrong signal to Vladimir Putin," they stated.
"Rather than withdrawing forces from the continent altogether, it is in America's interest to maintain a strong deterrent in Europe by moving these 5,000 U.S. forces to the east,” they proposed.
The two members of Congress also mention that, contrary to plans, the Pentagon will not be sending a battalion for the deployment of long-range weapons to Germany.
There has been no official statement from the US government on this matter to date. Trump’s predecessor, Joe Biden, had promised at the 2024 NATO summit to station medium-range weapons with conventional warheads in Germany.
