The US is not only present in Europe as part of its obligations to NATO. It also uses its bases for its own geopolitical purposes.
From the Azores to Romania, from northern Norway to Sicily: American military personnel are present in many parts of Europe. A complex network, which is nevertheless constantly and often unexpectedly changing during Donald Trump's second term as US president. Just a few days after the rotation of 4000 soldiers to Poland was halted, Trump announced that he would send an additional 5000 soldiers, arguing that he has good relations with Poland's right-wing nationalist president, Karol Nawrocki.
A summary of the fundamental importance of American troops in Europe, which also serve long-term strategic goals of the United States.
Why are there so many American troops in Europe?
After the end of World War II in 1945, the temporary alliance of powers that had defeated Nazi Germany split into two blocs: the Western Allies led by the United States, and the Soviet Union and its allies. To organize themselves in the emerging Cold War, the Western Allies founded NATO in 1949.
The US, as the largest military power in this alliance, considered from the beginning the permanent presence of troops in Europe as an important means of containing the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact. At the peak of this presence, in the late 1950s, up to 475,000 American soldiers were stationed in Europe. After 1991, with the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the number of troops gradually decreased to several tens of thousands.
This trend changed somewhat after 2014, when, following Russia's annexation of Crimea, the need for military deterrence in Europe increased again.
In which European countries is the American presence strongest?
The main US military base is Germany. At the end of last year, according to the US Department of Defense, more than 36,400 active-duty soldiers were stationed there. A regional focus is the southwest: Stuttgart is home to the command centers for operations in Europe and Africa (EUCOM and AFRICOM). Ramstein is home to the main air base for Europe and Africa, an important hub for operations as far as the Middle East, while Landstuhl is home to the largest US military hospital outside the US. It is also believed that the Büchel base stores US nuclear weapons as part of NATO's nuclear-sharing policy.
In second and third place are Italy (about 12,700 soldiers) and the United Kingdom (about 10,200). Britain is home to important NATO air bases, while in Italy, in addition to fighter jets, the US maintains a rapid intervention landing brigade. Naples is home to the headquarters of the US naval fleet for Europe and Africa.
This does not include units temporarily deployed to eastern NATO bases as part of rotations following the annexation of Crimea.
Why are American troops still in Europe?
The US uses bases in Europe for its global military presence. For example, bases in Germany and Britain have been essential for air operations in the conflict with Iran.
However, some allies have restricted such operations: Italy refused permission for aircraft to land at Sigonella base, while Spain banned the use of bases and flights over its airspace. In response, Trump threatened to withdraw troops from these countries.
The importance of Europe is also related to logistics: sending troops from the US would take longer and the distances are great. The communication infrastructure is also important - for example, there is a station in Ramstein for transmitting drone signals. Units that rotate on NATO's eastern flank, especially in Poland, also play an important role in the strategy of deterrence against Russia.
What are the current questions regarding the presence of troops?
In May, the Pentagon halted a rotation of about 4000 troops to Poland at the last minute. Budget concerns were reported, as well as the impact of Trump's troop reduction policies.
However, Trump then changed his stance and announced the sending of 5000 additional soldiers to Poland, without clarifying whether it would be a rotation or transfer from other countries, such as Germany.
A few weeks ago, after a conflict with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Trump announced the withdrawal of 5000 troops from Germany. Although some doubt the implementation of this decision, the US has made it clear that previous agreements no longer apply. This includes plans to deploy US medium-range missiles in Germany, which are not expected to be implemented. / DW
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