Germany is demanding the United States provide a detailed ‘roadmap’ for the potential withdrawal of American troops from Europe, prompting concerns among NATO allies about potential U.S. military reductions under President Trump. The Financial Times reports that German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has repeatedly requested U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to outline such a plan, citing trauma from the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. However, other NATO members fear these efforts could inadvertently encourage Trump’s argument for a U.S. military drawdown.
Analysts suggest European leaders are in a difficult position, balancing the need to maintain U.S. military presence with the fear of triggering a withdrawal. The situation comes ahead of a NATO summit in The Hague, where the U.S. has yet to provide clarity on its troop reductions. European leaders are concerned that their requests for more information could be misinterpreted by the Trump administration as a sign of weakening resolve, potentially leading to a reduction in U.S. military commitments on the continent.
One source cited by the publication described the somewhat schizophrenic dilemma faced by European leaders as follows: ‘Engage with the Americans like hell to keep them as close as possible, while at the same time preparing as fast as we can for them to walk away.’ Giuseppe Spatafora, an analyst at the EU Institute for Security Studies, told FT that ‘European allies in NATO may fear that they could set in motion the very outcome they seek to avoid.’
The piece quoted an unnamed French diplomat as similarly insisting that ‘we [must] do nothing that would encourage the Americans to leave, because that’s not in our interest.’ Carlo Masala, a professor of international politics at Bundeswehr University in Munich, concluded that at present ‘all the Europeans are looking at the U.S. like the rabbit looks at the snake… hoping that the snake won’t bite them.’