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submitted 1 week ago by sucius1@lemdro.id to c/europe@feddit.org

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.

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[-] alvvayson@lemmy.dbzer0.com 114 points 1 week ago

As a European, I say fine and sure.

But then we also withdraw from the Plaza accords.

Ever since China has winded down their US debt holdings, we have picked up the tab and the EU countries are now the largest foreign holder of treasuries.

Time to start selling.

And also, we only buy from European defense firms, no more spending on American defense.

what people don't understand is that europe must say goodbye to america, things are turning.

we (europe) should start considering being more independent (from the USA) and maybe, just maybe, actually talking to our eastern neighbours.

[-] NoSpotOfGround@lemmy.world 41 points 1 week ago

our eastern neighbours

... you mean Ukraine, no?

[-] meowgenau@programming.dev 17 points 1 week ago

No he means Putin and Lukashenko, the real vicitms of the war in Ukraine. Everyone knows that Zelensky is no angel.

[-] federalreverse@feddit.org 26 points 1 week ago

Adding /s might have saved your comment from the downvotes.

[-] meowgenau@programming.dev 24 points 1 week ago

Haha yeah I realized it. 🤷

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[-] Prandom_returns@lemm.ee 11 points 1 week ago

Nice suggestion. Let's abandon our strongest ally who are in an identity chrisis for literal terrorists. Thanks, Lemmy.

[-] valtia@lemmy.world 6 points 1 week ago

Your "strongest ally" just removed 20% of its troops and wants to extort you for the other 80% in its obligations to said alliance

[-] Prandom_returns@lemm.ee 6 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Wow!

Now do russia!

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[-] Tar_alcaran@sh.itjust.works 91 points 1 week ago

The US doesn't have troops in Europe to benefit Europe though. They have troops in Europe to benefit the US.

Europe should be totally fine with them leaving. Get off their territory, give up all that power projection and hamstring yourself.

What a weird thing to threaten.

[-] trollercoaster@sh.itjust.works 27 points 1 week ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

Trump is as dumb as a bucket of shit. That's why he's threatening to shoot himself in the foot.

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[-] gandalf_der_12te@feddit.org 13 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Well i argue that it's more complicated than that ... Europe really did profit tremendously from the relationship with the USA after WW2, but now ... not so much anymore, i guess. If one looks at recent developments.

[-] Hobbes_Dent@lemmy.world 70 points 1 week ago

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.

Eat a dick, USA. Some partner. Maybe they’ll leave late like they showed up late for WWII after waffling about which side to join.

[-] Arghblarg@lemmy.ca 29 points 1 week ago

After the door hits them in the arse on their way out, be sure to repatriate all the land for those US bases. Make them pay 300% more for the land, after this term if they want to come back.

And use whatever money is saved to bolster one's own national military. We can't rely on the US any more for defence.

[-] blackn1ght@feddit.uk 60 points 1 week ago

Fair enough. The less US military presence in Europe the better. We shouldn't be reliant on the US for our security needs. European and NATO nations need to make sure they're pulling their weight.

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[-] Saleh@feddit.org 49 points 1 week ago

Given his threats towards Greenland i'd be happy to not have a hundred thousand US troops all over Europe to wreak havoc, if Trump decides to invade.

Also Europe has been a staging area for US invasions, wars and drone muders long enough.

[-] azron@lemmy.ml 12 points 1 week ago

You aren't wrong but leaving out the bit about how much Europe has benefitted from the USA's military machine is sorta disingenous.

[-] Saleh@feddit.org 15 points 1 week ago

How did the EU benefit from the US military machine?

The only argument i can see would be deterrence, however it also seemed to have weakened the EUs resolve to build its on independent force. The US destabilizations in West Asia have brought us Daesh and millions of refugees, which were exploited by the far right to rise to power in many EU countries, now working to destroy the EU from within and often favorable to Putin.

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[-] datendefekt@feddit.org 48 points 1 week ago

"financial contribution"

That doesn't sound mafia-like at all.

[-] sucius1@lemdro.id 29 points 1 week ago

I say pull them all, that would cripple their power projection towards Africa, Europe and the Middle East, and move forward with the creation of a EU Army.

[-] NaibofTabr@infosec.pub 32 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Maybe. I think this supports Putin's goals more than anything.

Something to keep an eye on is the AEGIS Ashore platforms in Poland and Romania. These are ICBM tracking and interception facilities, part of the US MDA's Missile Defense System, and their specific purpose in being where they are is to defend Europe from Russian missiles. You can bet Putin would love to see them gone. If you see any news about reduced US military or MDA presence in those countries, you should be worried.

[-] Arghblarg@lemmy.ca 8 points 1 week ago

Yes, but only if the EU doesn't immediately replace the vacuum with their own forces.

(Do any of the EU nations have nukes that aren't owned by the US? Sadly such a deterrent is probably a requirement.)

[-] HowRu68@lemmy.world 18 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

(Do any of the EU nations have nukes that aren't owned by the US? Sadly such a deterrent is probably a requirement.<

European Nations have sufficient Nukes as a deterrent. Well I reckon one nuke plus their warheads would incapacitate most cities. There are like 500-600 officially between UK and France.

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[-] Zink@programming.dev 24 points 1 week ago

As an American, I could get on board for lower military spending, fewer people deployed, and Europe building up their own defense to make up the difference.

But I don’t trust for one second that Trump is doing this for anything good. Maybe Putin thinks Europe will pay less attention to him if they have to make up for lost American defenses.

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[-] GissaMittJobb@lemmy.ml 21 points 1 week ago

Don't let the door hit you on the way out you fucking loser

[-] Valeria@feddit.kyiv.ua 20 points 1 week ago

It’s time for Europe to defend itself.

[-] trollercoaster@sh.itjust.works 12 points 1 week ago

It has been high time to get rid of all and any US reliance when that orange fascist Muppet got elected the the first time.

[-] Tehdastehdas@lemmy.world 14 points 1 week ago

When will the US-made fighter jets stop working?

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[-] qyron@sopuli.xyz 13 points 1 week ago

Let me expand a bit on that idea: get the fuck out! Go away.

[-] uebquauntbez@lemmy.world 13 points 1 week ago

MMW: He'll soon need every single fighter at home.

[-] TankovayaDiviziya@lemmy.world 12 points 1 week ago

I wonder. Maybe Putin and Trump had a backroom deal that if US pulls out of Europe, then Putin will go on the negotiating table to end the war in Ukraine, and Trump is using the argument of "free riding Europeans" as convenient pretext. Trump is showing to Putin that the West is de-escalating by withdrawing American troops. After all, the Russian president is complaining of NATO encroachment. American troop withdrawal is indeed evidence for de-escalation.

Then at the same time, Trump wants to pivot against China. The US troops in Europe could be redeployed to Asia.

This is simply my speculation and there could be more to this than we would know publicly.

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[-] Jumi@lemmy.world 11 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Don't threaten us with a good time

[-] match@pawb.social 9 points 1 week ago

can this happen in asia too please

[-] Kissaki@feddit.org 7 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Asia has a Chinese Taiwan threat. It's a very different situation to Europe.

What do you want to happen or change in Asia? Removing troops from where and to what degree?

[-] tiredofsametab@fedia.io 6 points 1 week ago

It's a source of friction with locals in Japan for sure, particularly in Okinawa.

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[-] highduc@lemmy.ml 9 points 1 week ago

That would be nice. Let's see if it actually happens.

[-] Redex68@lemmy.world 7 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Honestly? Sure. The NATO shield will still exist so it doesn't affect the security of European countries much, and it only reduces American military influence abroad by reducing their capabilities to respond to events in the region, so what do we care? We should be investing more in defense regardles of whether the Americans pull out or not.

[-] Zip2@feddit.uk 7 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Good and please clear out your airbases over here too. And take your shit cars with you.

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this post was submitted on 27 Jan 2025
263 points (100.0% liked)

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