Attempts by the head of the White House, Donald Trump, to carry out a large-scale withdrawal of American troops from Germany may face new restrictions introduced by the US Congress. Fox News reported this on May 2.
However, the US presidential administration probably has a way to circumvent the decision of legislators, the media writes.
According to the latest defense bill, the Pentagon does not have the right to reduce the number of military personnel in Europe below the mark of 76 thousand people without assessing such actions by Congress. Lawmakers cannot directly veto troop withdrawals, but they can impose conditions and limit funding, which would effectively slow or block any significant reductions if those demands are not met, the channel explains.
Now, according to the media, in Europe the largest number of American military personnel is stationed in three countries: Germany (36 thousand), Italy (13 thousand) and Spain (4 thousand).
Germany and Italy are home to major American bases that serve as logistics hubs for operations in the Middle East. This means that any significant troop reduction could complicate efforts related to the conflict with Iran itself, Fox News adds.
However, the limitation, as the channel notes, concerns the total number of American troops in Europe, and not their deployment in individual countries. This gives Trump room to maneuver: he can move troops from allies such as Germany, Spain or Italy without reducing the overall US presence.
