The announced withdrawal of 5,000 US soldiers from Germany, according to the CDU’s foreign policy expert, Peter Beyer, is not a response to the disagreements between Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz and US President Donald Trump. Speaking to the “Rheinische Post” Beyer stressed that characterizing the move as a type of punitive action against Germany or Friedrich Merz is fundamentally incorrect, clarifying that these are rather “longer-term plans”.
Beyer, who previously served as a coordinator for transatlantic cooperation, added that the possibility of US troop withdrawal from Europe, especially Germany, has been under discussion for quite some time. He pointed out that it is not only Trump, but several US presidents have considered relocating American forces due to evolving “geopolitical realities and interests”.
The CDU politician concluded by assessing that Germany will hardly notice the size of the reduction. Instead of complaining about it, Beyer advised the country to thank the United States, arguing that this recognizes a return to reality and allows for accelerated investment in building a modern security infrastructure.