YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — European leaders said Monday that U.S. President Donald Trump’s sudden decision to withdraw thousands of U.S. troops from Germany came as a surprise but was a new sign that Europe must take care of its own security.
The Pentagon announced last week that it would withdraw about 5,000 troops from Germany, but Trump told reporters on Saturday, “We’re going to make significant reductions. And we’re going to reduce the numbers by well over 5,000.”
He did not provide a reason for the move, which caught NATO off guard, but his decision came against the backdrop of an escalating dispute with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran and Trump’s anger at European allies’ reluctance to get involved in Middle East conflicts.
Asked about the decision to withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said: “I won’t exaggerate it because I think we expect Europe to take more responsibility for its own security.
“I don’t think there is anything dramatic about these numbers, but I think they should be dealt with in a harmonious way within the framework of NATO,” he told reporters at a summit in Yerevan, Armenia.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Callas said, “There have been long-standing discussions about the withdrawal of US troops from Europe. But of course, the timing of this announcement is surprising.”
“I think this shows that we have to really strengthen the European pillar of NATO,” she said.
Asked if she thought Trump was trying to punish Mertz, Karas said: “I can’t read President Trump’s head, so he has to explain himself.”
Over the weekend, NATO spokesperson Allison Hart said officials from the 32-nation military alliance “are working with the United States to understand the details of their decision regarding military deployments in Germany.”
European allies and Canada have known Trump would withdraw troops from Europe since shortly after he took office again last year – in fact, some troops left Romania in October – but U.S. officials have pledged to coordinate any action with NATO allies to avoid creating a security vacuum.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte played down the move, saying “the United States is currently disappointed with European support for the war with Iran.”
It is worth noting that France, Spain and the United Kingdom refuse to allow the US military to use bases on their soil to attack Iran. Spain denies them the use of its airspace and bases to fight the war.
But Rutte said: “I would say the Europeans have heard a message. They are now ensuring that all bilateral base agreements are implemented.”
Rutte added that European countries “have decided to pre-position assets, key assets, near the theaters for the next phase.”
He gave no details, but the Europeans insisted they would not help regulate the Strait of Hormuz, a vital energy trade route, until the war was over.
French President Macron said, “It would be great if the United States was ready to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. This is what we have been asking for from the beginning.” But he stressed that the Europeans were not ready to participate in any operation “that does not seem clear to us.”
In another sign of friction with Merz, Trump accused the European Union of not complying with its trade deal with the United States and announced plans to increase tariffs on EU-made cars and trucks to 25% next week, a move that would particularly hurt major automaker Germany.
Without mentioning Trump or the United States, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen listed the EU’s recent trade deals with Australia and India, as well as the one currently being struck with Mexico.
Von der Leyen from Germany told reporters: “With like-minded friends, you have a stable and reliable supply chain, and Europe has the largest free trade agreement network.”
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Cook reported from Brussels.