WORLD NEWS FOR MONTENEGRO DIASPORA
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AUTHOR:M.J. GDNUS
Germany is facing growing uncertainty about the future of the US military presence on its soil as Washington prepares for a major overhaul of its global military strategy. Amid quiet but growing concerns in Berlin, officials are trying to ensure that any US withdrawal from Europe is coordinated – and not sudden.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius traveled to Washington on Monday to meet directly with US officials, including Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, with the goal of securing Germany’s place in the ongoing strategic deliberations.
“I started suggesting two years ago that at some point it would become clear that the Americans would end up doing less,” Pistorius told reporters after the meeting. “For now, we in Europe could count on them to do more. But we have to recognize that they have their own interests – in the Indo-Pacific, in the security of maritime trade routes.”
That admission has prompted Germany to demand greater transparency. While German officials have repeatedly stressed their desire to be involved in the coordination process, they have yet to receive concrete promises about the scope or timeframe of possible changes.
Concerns are also spreading among NATO allies. The U.S. ambassador to NATO, Matthew Whitaker, tried to allay concerns last week during a briefing at NATO headquarters in Brussels.
“We agreed that there are no surprises and no gaps in the … strategic framework for Europe,” Whitaker said, adding that he is “in daily communication with allies about this process.”
A review of U.S. global presence
At the center of this uncertainty is the Pentagon’s Global Force Posture Review—a broad assessment of U.S. troop deployments aimed at aligning military forces with changing global priorities. A final report is expected by September.
As tensions rise in the Indo-Pacific and financial pressures mount at home, U.S. officials are signaling that a shift in focus away from Europe may be imminent. In February, standing alongside his Polish counterpart, Hegseth issued a stark warning.
“Now is the time to invest [in your military], because you can’t assume that the American presence will last forever,” he said.
That warning carries particular weight for Germany, which has more U.S. troops than any other European country. Some 35,000 U.S. troops are stationed in 35 municipalities, including key locations such as Ramstein Air Base—the center of U.S. air operations and satellite communications—and Grafenwoehr, the largest U.S. military training ground outside the United States.
Grafenwoehr also has a personal dimension for Hegseth, who was reportedly stationed there temporarily during his military service.
Germany is deeply dependent on the U.S. military presence. Since the Cold War, American troops have been the backbone of the country’s security strategy, filling persistent gaps in areas such as ammunition, readiness and strategic deterrence. That includes the presence of American nuclear warheads at Bischel, which are considered a key element of NATO’s common defense policy.
But experts say Germany is not the only one benefiting from the arrangement. Eileen Matle, a senior fellow for security policy at the German Council on Foreign Relations, stressed the mutual benefits of American bases in Europe.
“Bases like Ramstein serve not only to defend Europe,” Matle told POLITICO, “but also to project power into the Middle East and, to some extent, Africa.” She described Europe as “the gateway that leads on” for American military operations around the world.
Signals of withdrawal – and symbolism
One possible outcome of the Pentagon review, Matle said, could be the withdrawal of the roughly 20,000 U.S. troops deployed to Europe by 2022 after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The reinforcements, ordered by then-President Joe Biden, would bring the number of U.S. troops on the continent to between 90,000 and 100,000.
“It would still be a significant U.S. presence,” Matle said.
But Matle believes that troop reductions under Donald Trump’s administration could serve a dual purpose.
“It would send a message,” she said, “and Trump is placing importance on that kind of symbolic contrast.”
According to a NATO official who spoke on condition of anonymity, a reduction of up to 30 percent of U.S. troops in Europe could be possible – a more serious shift in U.S. military priorities.
But Matle cautions that if there is a troop withdrawal, it must be done responsibly.
“Regardless of how many troops are withdrawn – if at all,” she said, “it is crucial that it is carried out in an orderly, coordinated manner, and not as a surprise to European allies.”
With the Pentagon’s review still ongoing, Berlin remains uncertain about the content and timing of any a spokesman for the German Defense Ministry declined to provide further information on the current status of talks with Washington.
