Trump's troop withdrawal from Germany is a new warning to Europe

European leaders were not so much surprised by US President Donald Trump's announcement that he would withdraw thousands of American troops from Germany as by the way the decision was made - with little prior notice or consultation, and by linking the move to Trump's displeasure with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over his criticism of the US's war on Iran. The move, they said, is a new sign that Europe must take charge of its own security.

The Pentagon announced last week that it would withdraw about 5.000 troops from Germany, but Trump told reporters on Saturday: "We're going to be significantly reducing the number. And we're reducing it by much more than 5.000."

The move followed Trump's accusations that US allies were not doing enough to support the US in a war against Iran, as well as his hints that this meant Washington no longer had to respect the mutual defence clause in NATO's Article 5.

"What is worrying is not the number of 5.000 soldiers, but the political signal from Washington that long-standing, completely reliable partnerships no longer seem to mean anything and are seemingly subject to arbitrary decisions," said Simtje Möller, a member of parliament for the German Social Democrats, who are part of Merz's ruling coalition.

European diplomats say they fear Trump could make new moves that would test NATO ahead of a summit of leaders of the 32 member states in Ankara in July, especially if the war against Iran is not over by then and if he continues to vent his anger at allies.

“The longer-term goal for NATO and European allies is to hold out until Ankara,” a European diplomat told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity. “We have to work with the Americans if we can, and without them if we have to.”

Asked about the US decision, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said: "I wouldn't exaggerate it, because I think we expect Europe to take more responsibility for its own security," the Associated Press reported.

"I don't see those numbers as dramatic, but I think they should be managed in a coordinated way, within NATO," he told reporters yesterday in Yerevan, Armenia, at a meeting of the European Political Community (EPC).

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that “there needs to be a stronger European component in NATO, there is no doubt about that.” He told European partners that there was “more tension” in some of their international alliances than there should be, and that it was therefore “very important that we confront that.”

He added that how leaders respond to tensions in alliances will likely "determine what happens for many years, perhaps for a generation."

European Union foreign policy chief Kaia Kallas said that "there has been talk for a long time about the withdrawal of American troops from Europe. But, of course, the timing of this announcement comes as a surprise."

"I think it shows that we really need to strengthen the European pillar in NATO," she said.

Asked if she thought Trump was trying to punish Merz, who said the US had been humiliated by Iran in talks to end the war, Kallas replied: "I can't get into President Trump's head, so he has to explain it himself."

European diplomats say they fear Trump could make new moves that would test NATO ahead of a summit of leaders of the 32 member states in Ankara in July, especially if the war with Iran is not over by then and if he continues to vent his anger at allies.

Merz did not attend the EPP summit in Armenia, which was attended by about 30 European leaders, as well as Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. However, his spokesman Stefan Cornelius, asked in Berlin whether the US could still be counted on as a military partner, replied: “Absolutely.”

He said that the transatlantic alliance has been developing for decades and assessed that “we have a very resilient and broad relationship.” However, when asked what Trump meant when he said that the reduction in the number of troops would exceed 5.000, Cornelius said: “You have to ask the American government that.”

In response to Trump's threats over the past year, European countries and Canada have increased defense spending and military recruitment efforts.

Over the weekend, NATO spokeswoman Alison Hart said officials from the 32-nation military alliance were "working with the United States to understand the details of their decision on the deployment of forces in Germany."

The AP reports that it was clear to European allies and Canada shortly after Trump's return to office last year that he would be withdrawing troops from Europe - some had already left Romania in October. However, US officials have promised to coordinate any moves with NATO allies to avoid creating a security vacuum.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte tried to downplay the move, saying that "at this moment there is disappointment on the American side" about European support for a war against Iran, the AP reported.

Defense experts say the Europeans have little choice but to try to keep the US on their side, given that they rely heavily on the US to deter a possible Russian attack.

In an effort to convince Trump of the value of European allies, officials say many European countries are honoring agreements that allow U.S. forces to use bases on their territory and fly through their airspace during the campaign against Iran. However, as Reuters reports, they are reluctant to publicly point this out, given that Trump and the war are deeply unpopular in much of Europe.

While Spain has banned the use of bases on its territory, Rutte said that countries including Britain, Croatia, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Montenegro, Portugal and Romania are fulfilling their obligations.

Differences among NATO leaders over war against Iran

Although there is broad support for these efforts within the alliance, the crisis has also exposed deep differences among NATO's European leaders over how to respond to a war against Iran, Reuters writes.

Leaders of Western European countries such as Spain, France and Germany have issued harsh criticism, reflecting the mood of the domestic public but risking Trump's wrath.

Rutte, by contrast, has made it clear that he finds anti-war rhetoric useless. Some Eastern European countries, fearing that any weakening of NATO would embolden Russia, have taken a similar stance, diplomats say.

“When European countries say, ‘This is not our war,’ it really annoys me,” Rutte said on the “What the Hell Is Going On” podcast, hosted by the American Enterprise Institute, after meeting with Trump in Washington last month.

Rutte also said yesterday that several countries were “forward-deploying key logistical and other support,” including mine-clearance ships, near the Gulf to be ready for a possible mission in the Strait of Hormuz after the war ends.

The Netherlands, Belgium and Germany have said they are sending ships that could be part of such a mission. France, which is leading planning for a possible mission with Britain, also has ships in the Middle East that could take part.

"European leaders have understood the message, they have clearly heard the message from the US," Rutte told reporters at the summit in Armenia.

French President Emmanuel Macron said: “If the United States is ready to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, that’s great. We’ve been asking for that since the beginning.”

However, he stressed that the Europeans are not ready to get involved in any operation "that does not seem clear," according to the AP.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said yesterday that she would not support any decision by Trump to withdraw US troops from Italy, Reuters reported.

"It's a decision that doesn't depend on me and that I personally wouldn't agree with," Meloni told reporters in Yerevan, on the sidelines of the EPZ summit.

Asked last week whether Washington would consider withdrawing its troops from Italy and Spain, Trump replied: "Probably."

Meloni added that she would likely meet with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is due to travel to Rome later this week for talks, including a meeting with Pope Leo.

Carney: Europe will not submit to a "closed and brutal world"

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said that Europe will not submit to a "more brutal world", but can be the basis from which a new international order will be rebuilt.

Carney spoke as the first non-European leader to attend an EPP meeting.

“We don’t think we are destined to submit to a transactional, closed and brutal world, and gatherings like this point to a better way forward,” he said.

In a message that sounded like a hint that the era of American leadership was coming to an end, explaining the symbolism of Canada's presence at the European political gathering, Carney said: "It is my firm personal belief that the international order will be restored, but it will be restored from Europe."

“We are demonstrating not only the strength of our values ​​in defending the rules-based international order, but also the value of our strength,” he added. “The world is going through fractures on multiple levels - some are using integration as a weapon, and rules no longer restrain hegemons.”