Trump’s US Troops Withdrawal from Germany Coming to Fruition

WASHINGTON, KOMPAS.com – The US Military revealed plans of withdrawing 12,000 troops from Germany while maintaining half of the US troops in Europe.

The decision was announced on Wednesday following a decision by President Donald Trump. The remaining US troops stationed in Europe served to address tension with Russia.

In June, President Donald Trump expressed his intention to reduce the number of US troops in Germany from 36,000 to 25,000.

The American President laid blame on Germany for not meeting NATO’s defense spending target.

President Donald Trump also accused the EU member-state of taking advantage of the US on trade.

On those bases, the US President made the call to reduce the number of US Military personnel in Germany.

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"We don't want to be the suckers anymore," Donald Trump told reporters at the White House on Wednesday about the decision.

"We're reducing the force because they're not paying their bills; it's very simple." stated the US President.

Defense Secretary Mark Esper has not portrayed the pullout in those terms and said the military's plan would prevent the troop movements from undermining NATO and its efforts to deter Russian intervention, following Moscow's 2014 annexation of the Crimean Peninsula.

In remarks likely to irk Moscow, Esper said some US troops would reposition to the Black Sea region and some could temporarily deploy in waves to the Baltics.

Other forces leaving Germany would permanently move to Italy and the US Military's European headquarters would relocate from Stuttgart, Germany, to Belgium.

In total, just under 6,000 troops of the 12,000 leaving Germany are expected to remain in Europe.

Many of the other forces will be based in the United States but will rotate into Europe for temporary deployments without their families.

"I'm telling you that this is going to accomplish what the president said with regard to getting us down to a lower number in Europe, and it meets his other objectives I outlined with regards to the strategic piece," Mark Esper said.