According to a German daily, the sheer number of American servicemen on the European continent is less important than it might seem. The newspaper emphasizes that from the perspective of Europe's real defense capabilities, it is not crucial whether 30 or 35,000 soldiers are stationed in the barracks in Germany. soldiers or whether some of them will go to Poland or stay in Texas. The authors of the commentary see the essence of the problem elsewhere – in the symbolic meaning of the very presence of US forces.
Since the establishment of the North Atlantic Alliance, the deployment of American troops in Europe has been a clear political signal. It was intended to confirm that the host of the White House is ready to fulfill allied obligations in the event of aggression from Russia. This guaranteeing nature of stationing forces has been the foundation of trust within NATO for decades.
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Break with Art. 5 of the Treaty
Commentators of “Sueddeutsche Zeitung” recall the provisions of Art. 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, the rule “one for all, all for one”, which the presence of American troops concretized into the formula “America for all”. The newspaper estimates that the administration in Washington is fundamentally moving away from this line. According to the daily, this means a breakthrough in the current understanding of allied obligations.
This thesis is confirmed by the statements of Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The politician claims that the United States' interest in the Alliance results from access to military bases on the European continent. According to him, Washington needs NATO partners primarily so that they can launch attacks on Iran or other countries from their territory.
Rubio set a condition for European partners – if they want the US to remain in the Alliance, they should not prohibit attacking Iran from bases in Europe, as Spain did. The German editorial team points out that with this approach, NATO is no longer a convenient tool for keeping the United States on the European side. Europe, however, remains – as the daily puts it – chained to “a chaotic president whose policies greatly harm his (…) allies and who is indifferent to Europe.”
“Sueddeutsche Zeitung” about candies
The key example of the new logic of deploying troops is the announcement of sending 5,000 troops to Poland. additional soldiers. “Sueddeutsche Zeitung” emphasizes that the justification for this decision refers neither to deterrence strategies nor to real threats, but to personal relationships. Trump allegedly decided to strengthen the Polish garrison because he likes the right-wing populist president Karol Nawrocki.
German publicists use a suggestive metaphor. “For Trump, American soldiers are like candy that he gives to good children at his discretion” – we read in the commentary. The text ends with an ironic statement that Europeans who still trust the current government in Washington in matters of security should put a tooth under their pillow – perhaps the Tooth Fairy will bring them an American brigade at night.
On Thursday, the President of the United States announced on the Truth Social platform the decision to send an additional 5,000 to the Vistula River. military. He referred to his relations with Nawrocki, whom – as he recalled – he supported before the 2025 elections. The message itself is part of a broader picture of changes in American military policy towards the European continent.
Earlier, Reuters revealed that the Pentagon canceled plans to transfer 4,000 units to Poland on a rotational basis. American military. CNN reported that Defense Minister Pete Hegseth's decision to suspend the rotation of the American armored brigade was part of efforts to reduce the number of US forces in Europe.
