US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday downplayed the significance of a plan to withdraw 5000 US troops from Germany and said Donald Trump has not yet made a decision on removing more soldiers from Europe, amid growing tensions in transatlantic relations.
Speaking in Rome after meetings with senior Italian leaders, Rubio sought to publicly distance the move from Trump's ongoing criticism of NATO and its member countries, including Italy, over what he sees as a lack of support for the US war on Iran, CNN writes, reports Gazeta Express.
However, his statements are unlikely to assuage European concerns about the US's credibility and commitment to the defense alliance. Rubio, a long-time NATO supporter, did not rule out further troop reductions in response to US discontent with the alliance. He said Trump has not yet made a decision.
The top US diplomat said the troop reduction in Germany, announced last week by the Pentagon, “was already underway.” Even German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, the target of Trump’s ire for comments on war with Iran, has sought to downplay the move.
"These troops represent less than 14% of our total military presence there," Rubio said at a press conference on Friday. "This was already planned. In fact, it just takes us back to where we were in 2022."
"There has always been a plan for some relocations within NATO," he added.
Even if that is true, European officials have viewed the move with concern about what it might portend for the future. Trump himself has threatened further cuts to the number of US troops in Germany, and European allies have been left in the dark about the president's decisions.
Efforts by figures like NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte to highlight the work allies are doing for freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz appear to have had little impact on Trump's anger toward the alliance.
Rubio on Friday echoed Trump's displeasure, but said the president has not yet made a decision on a response.
"If one of the main reasons why the US is in NATO is the ability to have forces deployed in Europe that we can use for other situations and now that is no longer possible — at least for some NATO members — then that is a problem and needs to be looked at," he said.
"Ultimately, this is a decision that the president has to make. His team and people like me will present possible options, but the decision will be his. He hasn't made those decisions yet," Rubio added.
Rubio, who met with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Friday, said they "did not discuss any specific details," such as a possible U.S. withdrawal from NATO or troop reductions in Italy.
Rubio, while a senator, co-sponsored legislation that prevents a president from unilaterally withdrawing from the alliance.
A US State Department statement on the meeting said they discussed "the importance of continued transatlantic cooperation to address global threats".
"A sincere dialogue," Meloni wrote in X, "between allies who defend their national interests, but who know how precious Western unity is."
t7 live
