RT.com
24 Jun 2025, 02:51 GMT+10
Some NATO members are concerned that Berlin's requests for clarity could spur Trump to pull out
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has repeatedly asked US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to provide a "roadmap" for US troop withdrawal from Europe, Financial Times has said, citing three anonymous sources "briefed on their discussions."
Since taking office in January, US President Donald Trump has repeatedly accused European NATO members of failing to equitably share the burden of defense spending. His administration has also suggested the US could reduce its military footprint on the continent in the coming years, as its geopolitical focus increasingly shifts toward the Asia-Pacific region.
In a piece on Monday, FT reported that ahead of a NATO summit in The Hague slated for June 24, European leaders have been preoccupied with Washington's troop drawdown plans. The fact that the US has yet to provide details has contributed to the concerns, the publication reported, citing unnamed sources.
According to the outlet, in recent months Pistorius "has pushed Hegseth, his US counterpart, to provide a 'road map' for a US pullback from Europe." FT quoted an anonymous senior German official as explaining that "we all have trauma from Afghanistan," referring to the botched withdrawal of US troops there in 2021.
Germany's attempts have, however, reportedly come in for criticism from other members of NATO, supposedly wary that Berlin might unwittingly boost Trump's case for a withdrawal of US forces.
Another source cited by the publication described the somewhat schizophrenic dilemma faced by European leaders as follows: "Engage with the Americans like hell to keep them as close as possible, while at the same time preparing as fast as we can for them to walk away."
Giuseppe Spatafora, an analyst at the EU Institute for Security Studies, told FT that "European allies in Nato may fear that they could set in motion the very outcome they seek to avoid."
The piece quoted an unnamed French diplomat as similarly insisting that "we [must] do nothing that would encourage the Americans to leave, because that's not in our interest."
Carlo Masala, a professor of international politics at Bundeswehr University in Munich, concluded that at present "all the Europeans are looking at the US like the rabbit looks at the snake...hoping that the snake won't bite them."
Get a daily dose of Russia Herald news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Russia Herald.
More InformationNEW YORK, New York - U.S. stocks made strong gains on Monday, brushing off concerns Donald Trump's surprise ambush of Iranian nuclear...
NEW YORK CITY, New York: The U.S. bombing of Iranian nuclear sites has cast a shadow over global markets, with investors bracing for...
SANTAREM, Brazil: As Brazil cements its position as the world's top soy exporter, a new wave of deforestation is spreading across the...
ZURICH, Switzerland: A wave of central banks across Europe surprised markets last week by lowering interest rates, responding to easing...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: The U.S. economy is performing reasonably well, but Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell faces a difficult decision...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: President Donald Trump has granted TikTok another reprieve, extending the deadline for its Chinese parent company,...
SAO PAULO, Brazil: Brazil is taking confident steps to restore its dominance in global poultry exports after declaring its commercial...
A day after the NATO summit in The Hague ends, EU leaders will take the short journey south to Brussels for their regular summer European...
Washington DC [US], June 24 (ANI): US President Donald Trump on Monday (local time) expressed optimism about the prospects of de-escalation...
NEW YORK, 24th June, 2025 (WAM) - The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed deep alarm over the further escalation...
Doha [Qatar], June 24 (ANI): The State of Qatar has strongly condemned the missile attack on Al-Udeid Air Base by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary...
Some NATO members are concerned that Berlin's requests for clarity could spur Trump to pull out ...