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Asharq Al-Awsat
Asharq Al-Awsat
World
Asharq Al-Awsat

US Reportedly Weighs Germany Troop Pullout, Pentagon Denies

US and Polish army soldiers gather near their tanks after live firing exercise in Zagan, Poland, January 30, 2017. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel

The Pentagon is evaluating the costs and impact of transferring or withdrawing troops from Germany, where the United States has its biggest contingent outside the country, a report said Friday.

President Donald Trump has already discussed the proposal, which has worried European NATO allies, with military officials, The Washington Post reported.

Among the options under consideration are repatriating a large contingent of the approximately 35,000 active duty troops, or a full or partial move of the military personnel from Germany to Poland, according to the daily.

In recent months, Poland has proposed spending at least $2 billion to obtain a permanent US base.

Citing anonymous sources, the newspaper stressed that the study was only an internal examination of options at this stage.

A White House National Security Council spokesman denied any such analysis.

Pentagon spokesman Eric Pahon also denied any plans for a withdrawal.

"The Pentagon regularly reviews force posture and performs cost-benefit analyses," he said in a statement. 

"This is nothing new. Germany is host to the largest US force presence in Europe -- we remain deeply rooted in the common values and strong relationships between our countries. We remain fully committed to our NATO ally and the NATO alliance."

The US president is due to attend the transatlantic group's summit in Brussels on July 11-12, when he is sure to pressure allies to spend at least two percent of their GDP on defense, in accordance with a target NATO members agreed to reach by 2024.

Germany, which has had tense ties with the US in recent months, has already indicated it will be unable to meet that goal. Poland, however, has met the target.

Trump insists that Washington is shouldering too much of the group's financial burden.

A senior NATO official said that neither the alliance headquarters nor individual member governments had been notified of any Trump plans to raise the issue of withdrawing or repositioning American troops in Europe at the summit, although all are aware of Polish lobbying to place at least some components there.

US troops have been stationed in Germany since World War II, and the presence there serves as a base for US operations in Africa and the Middle East.

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