Idiotic and Deplorable:
President Donald Trump plans to pull about 20,000 U.S. troops from Europe, according to a leading Italian news agency.
A European diplomatic source told ANSA that Trump, who entered office on Monday for a second term, wants to reduce the American contingent in Europe by about 20 percent and plans to ask for a "financial contribution" for the maintenance of the remaining troops.
Newsweek has contacted the White House for comment.
Trump has long advocated for members of the military alliance to ramp up defense spending to 5 percent of their gross domestic product—up from a target of 2 percent set in 2014 that the majority of member states, including the U.S., still fail to meet.
"I think NATO should have 5 percent," he said on January 7 of a NATO defense spending target. "They can all afford it, but they should be at 5 percent, not 2 percent."
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk is one of few allies who welcomes an increase in the defense spending contribution target. He said Wednesday that NATO members in Europe should welcome Trump's renewed call to spend more on defense, saying Russia poses an existential threat to security in the EU.
"We shouldn't be irritated. We shouldn't be appalled," Tusk told lawmakers of the European Parliament, Reuters reported. "Some think it's extravagant or it is a brutal or malicious warning.
"Only an ally can wish another ally to get stronger. This is not what an opponent of Europe would say. I would like to tell you that this is a time when Europe cannot afford to save on security."
Nicolás Pascual de la Parte, a former Spanish ambassador to NATO, told ABC News on Thursday: "The truth is defense spending is not popular in European countries, whether it's Spain or another European country. We grew accustomed after the Second World War to delegate our ultimate defense to the United States of America through its military umbrella, and specifically its nuclear umbrella. It's true that we need to spend more."
Former Finnish President Sauli Niinistö told a defense conference held by British think tank Chatham House in London on Thursday, attended by Newsweek: "Here in Europe, we have just one problem that is we lack armament and troops. We need financing. We have heard President Trump saying that, well, 2 percent should be 5 percent—it will be more than 2 percent, that's my expectation for the future.
"But we should also study what we get with that 2 percent, how efficiently it's used, because the statistics are quite bad, in a way that if you compare the amount of armament in Europe in '90s when the Cold War ended, and the present situation—you find that there's a huge collapse in figures of tanks, fighters, whatever—huge—even though money has been used.
"Meanwhile, there are a lot of questions on the role of the U.S. with President Trump. I don't believe that we should fear that NATO is vanishing somehow, but we should be prepared to understand that at some stage it might be possible that...the U.S. is reducing its presence in Europe. Then there is an extra burden for European NATO members to fill any gap which is left in NATO structures. We should all together start thinking how we will fill those gaps, if they appear."
President Donald Trump plans to pull about 20,000 U.S. troops from Europe, according to a leading Italian news agency.
A European diplomatic source told ANSA that Trump, who entered office on Monday for a second term, wants to reduce the American contingent in Europe by about 20 percent and plans to ask for a "financial contribution" for the maintenance of the remaining troops.
Newsweek has contacted the White House for comment.
Why It Matters
The news is likely to worry Washington's NATO allies in Europe at a time when Russia's relations with the West are at their lowest point since the Cold War. Russian officials have repeatedly insinuated that Moscow could orchestrate attacks against members of the NATO military alliance, in response to their support of Ukraine throughout the war.What To Know
Some 100,000 U.S. troops are currently deployed in Europe. The diplomatic source said Trump wants other NATO member states to pay up as U.S. troops there are a "deterrent" so costs incurred should not "be borne only by American taxpayers."Trump has long advocated for members of the military alliance to ramp up defense spending to 5 percent of their gross domestic product—up from a target of 2 percent set in 2014 that the majority of member states, including the U.S., still fail to meet.
"I think NATO should have 5 percent," he said on January 7 of a NATO defense spending target. "They can all afford it, but they should be at 5 percent, not 2 percent."
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk is one of few allies who welcomes an increase in the defense spending contribution target. He said Wednesday that NATO members in Europe should welcome Trump's renewed call to spend more on defense, saying Russia poses an existential threat to security in the EU.
"We shouldn't be irritated. We shouldn't be appalled," Tusk told lawmakers of the European Parliament, Reuters reported. "Some think it's extravagant or it is a brutal or malicious warning.
"Only an ally can wish another ally to get stronger. This is not what an opponent of Europe would say. I would like to tell you that this is a time when Europe cannot afford to save on security."
What People Are Saying
The European diplomatic source told ANSA: "Furthermore, for those who remain, he would like a financial contribution from European countries because these soldiers are a deterrent, and the costs cannot be borne only by American taxpayers."Nicolás Pascual de la Parte, a former Spanish ambassador to NATO, told ABC News on Thursday: "The truth is defense spending is not popular in European countries, whether it's Spain or another European country. We grew accustomed after the Second World War to delegate our ultimate defense to the United States of America through its military umbrella, and specifically its nuclear umbrella. It's true that we need to spend more."
Former Finnish President Sauli Niinistö told a defense conference held by British think tank Chatham House in London on Thursday, attended by Newsweek: "Here in Europe, we have just one problem that is we lack armament and troops. We need financing. We have heard President Trump saying that, well, 2 percent should be 5 percent—it will be more than 2 percent, that's my expectation for the future.
"But we should also study what we get with that 2 percent, how efficiently it's used, because the statistics are quite bad, in a way that if you compare the amount of armament in Europe in '90s when the Cold War ended, and the present situation—you find that there's a huge collapse in figures of tanks, fighters, whatever—huge—even though money has been used.
"Meanwhile, there are a lot of questions on the role of the U.S. with President Trump. I don't believe that we should fear that NATO is vanishing somehow, but we should be prepared to understand that at some stage it might be possible that...the U.S. is reducing its presence in Europe. Then there is an extra burden for European NATO members to fill any gap which is left in NATO structures. We should all together start thinking how we will fill those gaps, if they appear."
