European Top Diplomats Concerned, Potential Withdrawal of U.S. Troops - Security System Faces Tough Challenge

European Top Diplomats Concerned, Potential Withdrawal of U.S. Troops - Security System Faces Tough Challenge

The U.S. military presence in Europe has been declining for a long time, and now European leaders are concerned about how relations with the United States may become even colder during President Trump's second term. If President Trump decides to withdraw about 20,000 U.S. troops from Europe, it could pose a serious threat to European security.

Camille Grand, a former NATO official and researcher at the European Council on Foreign Relations, said, "The Europeans are working on their readiness, but it will take time. If President Trump decides to withdraw troops from Germany because of a trade imbalance, it will be much more difficult to manage."

Although the Trump administration has stated that there are no plans for a large-scale troop withdrawal from Europe, European leaders are worried that he might remove troops from Europe after the Ukraine war. In this crisis situation, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the Biden administration sent about 20,000 troops to Europe last year, but there is a possibility that President Trump may pull them back, according to a NATO diplomat.

At the same time, European leaders are saying that they must take more initiative to strengthen Europe’s security system because the United States is currently focusing more on confronting China.

The main concern of European leaders at present is Trump's unpredictable nature, which is creating security concerns for Europe. "I am worried because Trump's behavior is unpredictable, and how much confidence can Europe have in American protection and defense?" said Nigel Gould-Davies, a former British diplomat and senior fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies.