An AH-64 Apache attack helicopter stands in front of a Galaxy C-5 transport plane at the US Air Base in Ramstein, western Germany, on Feb. 22, 2017. Germany's defence minister on Saturday said the withdrawal of American troops from Germany had been expected and that Europe needed to do more to ensure its own security. The Pentagon announced the withdrawal of about 5,000 troops from Germany within the next year, the latest rift in transatlantic ties over the Mideast war. AFP-Yonhap

BERLIN — A planned drawdown of 5,000 U.S. troops from Germany should spur Europe to strengthen its own defences, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said on Saturday, but two top U.S. Republican lawmakers expressed concern, saying the troops should not leave Europe.

The Pentagon announced the drawdown from Germany, its largest European base, on Friday, as a rift over the Iran war and tariff tensions place further strain on relations between the U.S. and Europe.

As part of the U.S. decision, a Biden-era plan to deploy a U.S. battalion with long-range Tomahawk missiles to Germany has also been dropped - a blow to Berlin, which had pushed for the move as a powerful deterrent against Russia.

Republican lawmakers Senator Roger Wicker and Representative Mike Rogers, the chairs of the Senate and House armed services committees, said they were "very concerned." They said the troops should not be moved from Europe, but moved east.

"Prematurely reducing America’s forward presence in Europe before those capabilities are fully realized risks undermining deterrence and sending the wrong signal to (Russian President) Vladimir Putin," they said in a joint statement.

NATO working with Washington on details

Pistorius said the partial withdrawal was expected and would affect a current U.S. presence of almost 40,000 soldiers stationed in Germany.

"We Europeans must take on more responsibility for our own security," Pistorius said, adding, "Germany is on the right track" by expanding its armed forces, speeding up military procurement and building infrastructure.

U.S. President Donald Trump called for a reduced military presence in Germany as far back as his first term and has repeatedly urged Europe to take responsibility for its defence. However, he stepped up the threat earlier this week after sparring with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who has questioned Washington's exit strategy in the Middle East.

Source: Korea Times News