Trump plans to withdraw US troops from Germany and Spain over their refusal to support war in Iran - WSJ

The administration of US President Donald Trump is considering a radical plan to redeploy US troops within Europe. This is reported by The Wall Street Journal.

The White House plans to punish those NATO countries that have shown insufficient loyalty during the US and Israeli military operation against Iran. This initiative reflects the deep gap between Washington and its traditional European partners that has arisen since the outbreak of hostilities in the Middle East.

Instead of a complete withdrawal from the Alliance, which requires the consent of Congress, Trump proposes a gradual withdrawal of the American contingent from the territories of "disloyal" states. Currently, about 84,000 US troops are in Europe, and a significant part of them may change their location. Countries that have imposed restrictions on the use of their infrastructure have come under particular pressure.

For example, Spain completely closed its airspace to American aircraft involved in the Iranian campaign, and Italy banned the use of strategic bases in Sicily. Germany and France have also come under criticism from Washington due to official condemnation of the operation or severe restrictions on logistical support.

The so-called "supporting countries", which the Trump administration includes Poland, Romania, Lithuania and Greece, may benefit from such a decision. The plan involves strengthening the military presence in these states, which in fact means shifting the US defense emphasis to NATO's eastern flank.

Although such a redeployment closer to the russian borders could provoke a sharp reaction from the Kremlin, the White House considers this scenario a priority to maintain discipline within the Alliance. Currently, the discussion is at an early stage, but the idea of ​​closing at least one large base in Germany or Spain has already received support among key US officials.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, on March 31, US President Donald Trump sharply criticized France for refusing to provide airspace for the flight of US military aircraft.

On March 30, Spain closed its airspace to US aircraft that participated in attacks on Iran.

On March 3, US President Donald Trump announced his decision to "terminate all relations" with Spain after Madrid did not allow the use of its military bases for strikes in the Middle East.