European leaders are grappling with how to handle their relations with the US since President Donald Trump regained control of the White House this year. Camille Grand, a former NATO official, stated that Europeans have a “serious problem of readiness” that needs time to fix. If Trump decides to pull out US troops from Germany due to trade issues, it’s more complicated than saying they’ll do so within a certain timeframe.
Leaders are anxious about the security of the continent in the second era of Trump, fearing he may be too friendly with Russia and expecting him to reduce roughly 20,000 US troops deployed after Joe Biden’s invasion of Ukraine. A NATO diplomat noted that these troops were sent during an emergency and their exit would be a “return to normalcy.”
The number of US troops in Europe has fluctuated between 75,000 and 105,000 since 2022, with the higher end resulting from Biden’s surge. However, fears persist that Trump may reduce forces further, despite assurances from his administration.
Recent events, including Vice President JD Vance’s remarks on European leaders’ alleged break from shared values, have fueled these concerns. However, US presidents from both parties have warned European leaders of the potential shift in troops away from the continent for more than a decade to focus on China.
The US military footprint in Europe has already fallen since the end of the Cold War. At its peak, there were nearly 500,000 US troops deployed to the continent. Despite consistent warnings, European leaders now fear that Trump’s timeline may accelerate further, leaving security gaps they can’t fill yet.
Source: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/european-leaders-edge-prospect-looms-trump-pulling-20k-troops-from-continent