Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw US troops from Germany becauseFriedrich Merzhurt his delicate feelings, exposes just what he thinks aboutNATOand how little he understands it. The rupture between theUS Presidentand the German Chancellor makes the fractures in our own special relationship look like mere grazes.
Trump has rarely resisted launching his toys out of the pram over any perceived criticism of his war of choice, which thus far served only to raise energy prices andbolster Vladimir Putin’s coffers. Given his reaction to comments made by the Pope, his reaction to Merz’s claims that the US is “being humiliated by the Iranian leadership,” was never likely to be tempered. Merz has since shown no willingness to backtrack, even as the US threatens to withdraw a brigade from the country consisting of approximately 5,000 troops.
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This is significant for two reasons.
Firstly, it is another straw on the increasingly strained back of NATO, which is showing signs of being close to breaking point.
The brigade consists not only of troops but of tomahawks and other mid-range missile systems introduced after the deployment of nuclear capable weaponry by the Kremlin in Kaliningrad.
Their removal not only deprives the alliance of a vital bargaining chip but further adds to the increasing belief amongst the alliance's adversaries that NATO is not a collective organisation likely to respond in unity to any incursion or attack.
More than that, the decision underscores Trump’s genuine belief that the relationship with NATO is one-way - that the US almost does Europe a favour by gracing us with its presence.
What the former reality star fails to understand is that, while the United States remains central to Europe’s defence, America’s own security still depends heavily on the allies it so often takes for granted.
Source: Daily Express :: World Feed
