CCTV News:On the surface, the constantly fermenting trade war has caused the alliance between the United States and Europe to fall to a rare low point for many years; But in reality, it is not just trade that affects transatlantic relations. The US media recently broke the news that Trump has asked the Pentagon to study the possibility of withdrawing troops from Germany. You know, Germany is the base camp of the US military in Europe.
The Washington Post recently quoted people familiar with the matter as saying that with the increasingly tense relationship between US President Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the US Department of Defense is analyzing the cost of stationing troops in Germany and the possible impact of withdrawing troops from Germany.
According to US media reports, earlier this year, when Trump met with senior White House officials and military aides, he learned that the number of American troops stationed in Germany was as high as 35,000 — — In this regard, Trump expressed surprise and then expressed his willingness to withdraw troops.
How important is Germany to the US military? Three key words may give an intuitive explanation:
Keyword 1 — — "brain"
At present, united states european command is located in Stuttgart in southern Germany, responsible for commanding and coordinating all American troops in the European theater; In addition, the US Air Force Command in Europe is located at Ramstein Base in southwest Germany — — This is NATO’s largest air base in Europe, with accommodation, fitness, education and other facilities available;
Keyword 2 — — "center"
American troops have been fighting overseas for many years: American officers and men deployed in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and other places are in urgent need of medical treatment after being seriously injured, but it is a long way to return to the United States, which may delay the treatment of injuries — — At this time, the first choice for the wounded is the American military base in Germany, because the distance is moderate and the medical facilities are advanced. In addition, the US military often transits through Germany to transport materials and personnel to the Middle East.
Keyword 3 — — "fulcrum"
Little-known is that Germany is not only the seat of united states european command, but also the seat of the US Army’s Africa Command. In other words, the anti-terrorism operations and special forces operations carried out by the US military in Africa are also commanded and coordinated in Germany.
The US media pointed out that the analysis of the cost of American troops and the impact of withdrawal has aroused the high vigilance of European officials — — Because they don’t know whether Trump will use the withdrawal as a bargaining chip to put pressure on allies and increase military spending, or really try to reshuffle the deployment of US troops in Europe and even around the world. On the 11th-12th of this month, the NATO summit will be held soon. It is expected that military expenditure will once again become a major conflict point between the United States and European countries.
The New York Times revealed on the 2nd that Trump had recently written letters to the leaders of Germany, Belgium, Norway and Canada, criticizing these countries for too little military spending with fierce words, and warned that the United States was "losing patience". In a letter to Merkel, Trump wrote: "The United States is increasingly disappointed that some allies have so far failed to fulfill their commitments on military spending." "Europe, including Germany, has a good economic momentum, while security challenges are increasing — — Under this circumstance, the United States still invests more in European defense than Europe. This is unsustainable for the United States. "
Experts in the United States can’t stand the prospect of splitting the EU in trade and considering withdrawing troops in security.
CNN commentator Bout said that the withdrawal from Germany was a "Christmas gift" for Putin in July. However, American allies have every reason to worry.
The US media even pointed out that European officials no longer believe that the differences between the two sides of the Atlantic can be bridged under the impact of Trump’s words and deeds; European countries have no choice but to seek "alternatives" other than American leadership.
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