With the world¡¯s attention focused on wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, a major geopolitical development in Europe has gone largely unnoticed: U.S. President Donald Trump¡¯s decision to pull 5,000 troops out of Germany after it refused to support U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran.
While the move represents less than 10% of the roughly 80,000 to 90,000 U.S. military personnel stationed in Europe, it amounts to a shot across the continent¡¯s bow.
Is this gesture largely symbolic or will the withdrawal harm NATO and weaken Europe¡¯s security? Is there more to come if the Europeans continue to defy Trump? And what are the longer-term strategic implications ¡ª not just in Europe, but in Asia, too?
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.