In the overall sum of military deployments, the withdrawal of 5,000 US troops from Germany, with the prospect of more departures to come, should not make a significant difference. There are 36,500 US troops stationed in Germany, out of a total of almost 70,000 based in Europe overall; the withdrawal of 5,000, or one army brigade, will not make a big dent in that number.
But President Donald Trump’s announcement of even a small reduction in the overall US military presence in Europe, and specifically in Germany, where it has been a fact of life for the best part of 80 years, cannot help but send a message – several messages, in fact – that should be of considerable concern not just to Germany, but to all of Europe.
