Donald trump says that is not going to protect Germany from Russia, but it displays with the German state about a quarter placed there by US troops. There is a high probability that some of them will be redirected to Poland.
the Election of the President of Poland was even more important than say about them some experts. Then was determined not only and not so much who and where next to lead the country – conservative-eurosceptic or Pro-European Duda liberal Trzaskowski. In jeopardy the entire global trend to “right turn”, which represented the trump. The President of the United States could lose one of its key allies in Europe that would be hit and it positions. But Duda won, and after a couple of weeks after that, trump decided to transfer to Poland the promised troops. And the reason here not only in warm relations trump and Duda, but in the long-standing conflict between the U.S. President and the German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
the US plans to withdraw almost 12 thousand U.S. troops from Germany. This solution is right for two reasons. First, on the reduction of military forces insisted that the Pentagon considered it part of a long-term strategy. Second, this step was associated with the desire of Donald trump to punish Berlin for low defense spending.
Only Germany leaving 11 900 American soldiers. Of these, 6300 will return to the U.S., where they can be used for rotational deployments in Eastern Europe and around the world. Another 5,600 soldiers will be deployed in other NATO countries, mainly in Poland, but considers the options for their deployment to Belgium and Italy.
U.S. Secretary of defense mark Esper said that moving the military will begin in a few weeks, but also stressed that planning for redeployment is at an early stage and will cost the country several billion dollars.
He has repeatedly denied that this decision was motivated by the oft-stated trump’s desire to withdraw troops from Germany to teach Berlin a lesson in the fact that the Germans don’t have enough money to spend on defense. The Pentagon issued a statement which stated that the withdrawal “will strengthen NATO, enhance containment of Russia” and will increase the availability of the us armed forces.
However, the US President does not hide the true reasons for redeployment. American troops, asks a rhetorical question trump, “there to defend Germany, right? And Germany should pay for it. Germany don’t pay for it. We don’t want to be a laughing stock. The United States for 25 years, using both in trade and in the military sphere. So we are reducing power because they don’t pay the bills.”
trump has long argued that Germany is not paying their “NATO’s duty”. However, the situation is somewhat more��Alse.
In fact, tensions between the US and Germany associated with the national defense spending. In 2014, under President Obama, the allies agreed to spend 2% of their GDP on defense by 2024. Later, trump tried to renegotiate the agreement, arguing that America is too much spending on the security of NATO.
Germany currently spends on defense 1.5% of GDP, but it is not the worst performance. For example, Belgium, where the US may move part of its forces, spends less than 1%, while Italy spends 1.2 percent. But Poland fulfills its obligations to US in full, because it will be the main beneficiary of the withdrawal of US troops from Germany.
the head of the Pentagon Esper says that the redeployment will increase the influence of American troops in the Baltic States, Poland and the black sea region. The Minister of defense said, “this reinforces the containment, strengthens allies, and calms them.” Mark Esper stated that he had received “very positive feedback” from many of the NATO countries.
the Minister said that American command of the African forces, currently in Stuttgart, will also be transferred to the new headquarters, the decision on which is pending.
Critics of the decision of the Pentagon said that the redeployment of troops will be very expensive and time consuming process, which would be detrimental to the cohesion of NATO and containment of Russia. The departure of troops to the East will cost more to maintain the status quo and will create less confidence in the host countries, at the same time, undermining morale, forcing soldiers to spend more time away from their families.
a Retired Lieutenant Daniel Davis, senior researcher at the analytical center for the priorities of defense, by contrast, argues that, whatever the short-term motives, the withdrawal of troops from Germany has a strategic sense.
“We don’t need so many troops there. Because, in my opinion, there is no security threat with which these troops really help. Russia is already constrained. If you withdraw all American troops from Europe it doesn’t change the limiting factor for Russia, because the United NATO armed forces far more powerful than Russia, plus they have nuclear weapons,” Davis said.
