Ahead of the NATO Summit in The Hague on June 24, British media revealed that Germany had repeatedly asked the US to provide a roadmap for withdrawing troops from Europe.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has directly urged his US counterpart Pete Hegseth to clarify the plan to reduce the US military presence in the old continent.
Since President Donald Trump took office in January, the White House has repeatedly criticized European NATO countries for not sharing the defense burden fairly. US officials also hinted at the possibility of shifting the military focus to the Indo-Pacific region, raising concerns about a real withdrawal from Europe.
Notably, Germany is particularly concerned about the US not announcing detailed plans, causing NATO allies to fall into a passive state.
A senior German official admitted that: "We are still haunted by Afghanistan" - where the US withdrew troops in 2021 in chaos, leaving behind power gaps and a prolonged crisis.
However, Berlin's efforts have also been met with criticism from other NATO allies. Some countries are concerned that Germany's pressure on the US to publicize the withdrawal roadmap will unintentionally "assist" Mr. Trump's policy of reducing presence.
A source described the current situation as Dual: Both holding the US at all costs and speeding up preparations for the US withdrawal scenario.
"Many European countries are afraid that they can speed up themselves to do exactly what they are trying to avoid," said Giuseppe Spatafora, an expert at the EU Institute for Security Studies. A French diplomat also frankly warned: We must absolutely avoid doing anything that would encourage the US to withdraw. That is not in our good good.
