Inspector General of the Bundeswehr: US will not withdraw key forces from Europe

The United States will not withdraw key forces from Europe in case of a redeployment of troops to Asia. This opinion was expressed by Bundeswehr Inspector General Carsten Breuer in a commentary to Tagesspiegel.

According to him, the shift of US interests more and more towards the Pacific does not mean that key forces will be withdrawn from the European continent. Moreover, it is also in Europe's interests as "one of the biggest security challenges.".

"The United States has been and remains our most important military partner. They will continue to play a central role in the future," said Breuer .

He claims to have received assurances that there will be no loss of core American military competencies. According to Breuer, he is in close communication with the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Kane.

"In particular, for example, regarding the future deployment of long-range weapons systems in Germany to deter Russia," the Bundeswehr inspector said .

But to compensate for the expected reduction in troop numbers, Germany must "become the driving force behind Europe's defense" with a better-equipped army, Breyer said.

• Discussions about the presence of U.S. troops in Europe have been ongoing since the beginning of Trump's second term. As early as February, reported that the United States would not withdraw from NATO, but might withdraw some troops from Europe as its priorities shift to the Indo-Pacific region.
• On May 30, Reuters reported that US President changed his mind about handing over command of NATO's Joint Forces Europe to Europeans and had already decided on a new commander-in-chief. This was perceived by Europe as a positive signal..
• On July 3, Euractiv reported that Europe has begun covert preparations for the withdrawal of US troops. There was little doubt that Trump would take such a step.