Edition: International | Greek
MENU

Home » EU Actually

Europe’s NATO members must pay more for their defense and security

President Trump’s decision to withdraw 10.000 US troops from Germany perplexed the European NATO allies

By: N. Peter Kramer - Posted: Tuesday, June 16, 2020

"The current US military presence is based on a reality that no longer exists. Far from being the weak and vulnerable region it was in the fifties and early sixties of the last century, today Europe is one of the most wealthy and sophisticated regions in the world."
"The current US military presence is based on a reality that no longer exists. Far from being the weak and vulnerable region it was in the fifties and early sixties of the last century, today Europe is one of the most wealthy and sophisticated regions in the world."

by N. Peter Kramer

President Trump’s decision to withdraw 10.000 US troops from Germany perplexed the European NATO allies. But let us be honest. The fact of the matter is that the Europe of today is not the Europe of 1965, when hundreds of thousands of US troops were stationed in Germany to protect the western half of the continent from Soviet encroachment.

The current US military presence is based on a reality that no longer exists. Far from being the weak and vulnerable region it was in the fifties and early sixties of the last century, today Europe is one of the most wealthy and sophisticated regions in the world. And this despite the COVID-19 pandemic that has hit countries around the world just as severely as Europe.

The military expenditure by Europe’s NATO countries is nearly five times larger than Russia’s. And the EU’s gross domestic product (GDP) is nearly ten times larger than Moscow’s. Not all EU member states are NATO allies (Finland, Sweden, Ireland and Austria are not for instance), but non-EU countries as the UK, Norway and Iceland are. So the European NATO states have sufficient resources and wherewithal to take responsibility for the defense of their own continent.

What they do not have is the will to do so! It may be that a US withdrawal from Germany incentivises Europe to find the will power. To do so could prove to be the change of direction in burden sharing for Europe’s own security; no longer leaving the US taxpayer to foot the major part of the NATO bill.

READ ALSO

EU Actually

Extreme weather or not, the climate summit in Belem is in danger

N. Peter KramerBy: N. Peter Kramer

That the weather is becoming more and more extreme does not lead to more political urgency

View 04/2021 2021 Digital edition

Magazine

Current Issue

04/2021 2021

View past issues
Subscribe
Advertise
Digital edition

Europe

The EU Needs Values-Based Engagement in the Southern Mediterranean

The EU Needs Values-Based Engagement in the Southern Mediterranean

As the EU prepares a new pact for its Southern neighborhood, the union should balance economic and security interests with support for civil society, political reforms, and inclusive governance

Business

To save the Single Market, bring back Delors’ 1992 playbook

To save the Single Market, bring back Delors’ 1992 playbook

Most people familiar with EU affairs know the single market is a myth. Hailed as the bedrock of the European Union, it was never completed and is now crumbling.

MARKET INDICES

Powered by Investing.com
All contents © Copyright EMG Strategic Consulting Ltd. 1997-2025. All Rights Reserved   |   Home Page  |   Disclaimer  |   Website by Theratron