The reaction of two Republican leaders after Trump's decision on the withdrawal of American troops from Germany: “Wrong signal to Putin”
The Trump administration's decision to withdraw 5,000 US troops from Germany has sparked strong reactions in the US Congress. The chairmen of the two House and Senate defense committees, Republican Senator Roger Wicker and Republican Congressman Mike Rogers, issued a joint statement warning of the strategic risks of such a move.
The reduction of the US military presence in Europe has raised concerns. PHOTO Inquam Photos
The two officials state that they are “foarts worried about the decision of withdraw an American brigade from Germany,” emphasizing that Berlin “a response to President Trump's call for more equitable burden sharing,” significantly increasing the defense budget and providing “trouble-free access, bases and overflight rights” for the American forces involved in the Epic Fury operation, according to the joint statement, which can be consulted HERE.
In the joint statement, the two Republican leaders point out that although European allies are approaching the threshold of 5% of GDP for defense, turning these investments into real military capabilities takes time.
“Even as allies move toward spending 5 percent of GDP on defense, the reality is that turning these investments into the military capabilities needed to assume primary responsibility for conventional deterrence will take time. Prematurely scaling back the advanced American presence in Europe before those capabilities are fully realized risks undermining deterrence and sending the wrong signal to Vladimir Putin.”
Instead of total withdrawal, Republican leaders advocate a strategic repositioning of troops:
“Instead of withdrawing forces from the continent entirely, it is in the United States' interest to maintain a strong deterrent in Europe by moving these 5,000 US troops east. Allies there have made substantial investments to host US troops, reducing costs to the US taxpayer and strengthening NATO's defense line to help deter a much more costly conflict before it begins.”
Roger Wicker and Mike Rogers also insist on the need for a rigorous consultation process before any major change in the US military posture in Europe.
“Any significant change to the presence of US forces in Europe requires a deliberate process of review and close coordination with Congress and our allies”they say.
They add that they expect the Department of Defense “to engage in dialogue with oversight committees in the coming days and weeks” to clarify the implications of this decision for transatlantic security.
