It has been a choppy 12 months for transatlantic relations since Friedrich Merz was sworn in as chancellor of Germany a year ago today. Fittingly, he is marking one year in office by dealing with the fallout of a spat with Donald Trump which has resulted in very real consequences for German – and potentially European – defense.

On Friday, the Pentagon announced that 5,000 American troops would be withdrawn from German soil over the coming six to 12 months. Additionally, contrary to an agreement struck between Merz’s predecessor Olaf Scholz and Joe Biden, no new intermediate-range missiles would be stationed in Germany in the immediate future.

Germany currently hosts nearly 40,000 active US soldiers on its territory – roughly two-fifths of the total American presence in Europe. Most are based around the city of Ramstein in Rhineland-Palatinate, home to the largest US military base outside the US. The American army also runs a military hospital in Landstuhl (America’s largest on foreign soil) as well as maintaining a presence in bases near Stuttgart, Wiesbaden and the Bavarian town of Grafenwöhr, among others. They have formed a key part of the continent’s security architecture since the end of World War Two, providing a bulwark against the Soviet Union throughout the Cold War.

The White House hasn’t clarified yet which troops specifically will be pulled out – although the German government and NATO officials are reportedly currently demanding answers to this. While unlikely to weaken Germany too drastically, the country is still expected to feel the loss........

© The Spectator