It has ‘never been an alliance of equals,’ CDU party member & economist tells RT amid US plan to relocate troops from Germany

The presence of US troops remains a contentious issue in Germany, and their planned relocation could prompt Berlin to rethink the country’s defense strategy, an economist and member of Merkel’s ruling party told RT.

On Wednesday, the Pentagon announced a plan to pull nearly 12,000 soldiers out of Germany, cutting the American force stationed there by a third. US President Donald Trump has frequently chided its NATO ally for not paying a “fair share” in defense spending.

Max Otte, an economist and member of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s ruling Christian Democratic Union, told RT that the issue is not only about the money. The scaling down of the US military presence in Germany is a populist move “in a sense that Trump knows this goes well with his electorate.” Otte suggested the money is “just a symbol,” before noting that the reduction of American boots of the ground will be “significant” for Germany.

Politicians in Berlin were predictably outraged by Trump’s decision. The government’s NATO coordinator, Peter Beyer, argued that the withdrawal of US troops goes against Germany’s security interests, and would “make no geopolitical sense” for the US either.

Otte said the presence of foreign troops is a “contentious issue” among the Germans.

The economist pointed out that such sentiment is particularly strong in Germany’s eastern lands, which were part of the Soviet Bloc prior to reunification.

“In the east of Germany – the former GDR – most people would say ‘let’s withdraw NATO [forces], let’s do it ourselves.’… The country is divided on that issue,” Otte said.

German politicians have grown equally irritated with Trump’s rhetoric in recent years. Earlier this month, Merkel stated it is “no longer self-evident” that the US would defend the EU.

In the same sense, Otte believes that the withdrawal of American forces could play a positive role, by triggering “deep thoughts” in reevaluating Germany’s military and security strategy.

According to the Pentagon, a sizable portion of the soldiers leaving Germany will be relocated to other NATO member states, including Belgium, Italy and Poland. Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak welcomed the news, saying that the “most important land forces command” of American troops in Europe will be established in the country.