FLASH
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The withdrawal of US troops, the cancellation of the missile deal and new tariffs are leaving Germany vulnerable in terms of security. This situation is producing a deep political crisis that threatens the stability of the Merz government...
The US's sudden decision to withdraw troops and cancel the delivery of missile defenses has created unprecedented uncertainty in Berlin. Military expert Carlo Masala analyzes how these moves, accompanied by heavy tariffs on the car industry, are not just symbolic steps, but a direct blow to the national security and stability of German leaders.
You are a military expert and political scientist at the Bundeswehr University in Munich. Can you help us understand the damage caused by the US announcement of new tariffs on cars and the withdrawal of 5,000 soldiers from Germany?
We don't know the details. The number of American soldiers in Germany is always changing and also depends on the rotation principle. Since 2022, about 5,000 more Americans have been deployed in Europe. Now they will be withdrawn. That's about 13-14 percent of the total. It's a very symbolic gesture. But there's worse.
In what sense?
In July 2024, at the NATO summit in Washington, the Biden administration and the Scholz government reached an agreement to deploy medium-range missiles in Germany, including the Tomahawk and Dark Eagle, with a range of up to 3,000 km. That agreement has been canceled. The American missiles were supposed to be a temporary solution, waiting for the European ones, which will take at least 3 or 4 years to be ready.
So we won't have American missiles to protect us?
But this also means that we have a gap in deterrence against Russia.
A vulnerability…
Yes, a lack of deterrence. We're talking about weapons that, in the event of a Russian attack, would allow us to penetrate deep into Russian territory and destroy military positions and infrastructure that Moscow would need to wage war. I think that canceling that agreement is much more serious than withdrawing troops.
Then there are the new tariffs, an additional 25 percent for the car industry...
Here we are referring mainly to Porsche, Volkswagen, BMW and Mercedes. Trump is punishing Germany and is doing it more strongly with tariffs on cars than with the withdrawal of troops.
The Americans have also said they will deliver some weapons later than originally planned for the Europeans. Is this also part of Trump's revenge?
No, it's been known for weeks that the deliveries will be delayed. Because of the war in Iran, they need these missiles for themselves.
Was Trump's harsh reaction caused solely by anger over Merz's words about the US being "humiliated by Iran," or is it also related to the recent phone call between the US president and Vladimir Putin?
I don't think it's related to the phone call with Putin. A NATO meeting is scheduled for June, where the Americans are supposed to present the Force Posture Review to the Europeans. At that time, the Europeans will be informed about troop movements and other changes. Trump seems to have preempted the decision on Germany.
So it wasn't "everything predicted," as Defense Minister Boris Pistorius says?
I think Pistorius is downplaying what is happening too much. Not even the minister knew if Germany would be affected by this major strategic move. The government has been caught off guard and has its back against the wall.
What should I do now?
Germany should accelerate the development of medium-range missiles.
Do you think this decision could further worsen Merz's position within the government, which seems on the verge of crisis?
Absolutely yes. It can be assumed that German-American relations have suffered long-term damage. This also weakens Merz's leadership in Europe. There are three areas where Trump can harm us: tariffs, troops, Ukraine.
But if the chancellor publicly declares that Trump doesn't have a plan, he should be prepared to face the consequences. There should be a plan. And Merz doesn't have one. To believe that you can criticize Trump without consequences is naive.
Therefore, the step that must be taken now is to respond to Trump's tariffs with our own tariffs. The US must understand how vulnerable it is to the European market./ Pamphlet from "La Repubblica"
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