this post was submitted on 03 Dec 2025
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cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/39664905

Lieutenant General Christian Freuding fears the longstanding military partnership between the two allies is unravelling under President Trump’s administration

The Pentagon has “cut off contact” between American defence officials and their German counterparts, according to the head of Germany’s army.

The United States has traditionally treated Germany as one of its most important European allies. It is thought to have about 35,000 soldiers stationed at German bases such as Ramstein and Stuttgart, which serve as staging posts for American operations across Africa and the Middle East.

Since President Trump’s return to power in January, the relationship between the countries has become markedly cooler.

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[–] Gammelfisch@lemmy.world 10 points 20 hours ago

Throw the Amis out of Ramstein and use the base for the Bundeswehr and EU allies only.

[–] MonkderVierte@lemmy.zip 22 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Well, then throw the american soldats out, no?

[–] Dozzi92@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago

I'm a soldat!

[–] Hupf@feddit.org 1 points 18 hours ago

The next turn: America has denounced Germany!

[–] verdi@feddit.org 15 points 1 day ago (5 children)

Trump is planning a pincer attack on Europe, Putin to the East and US to the West.

[–] PrimeMinisterKeyes@leminal.space 16 points 1 day ago (1 children)

The third pincer is already inside Europe, in the shape of fascist parties that get funding from the US.

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 5 points 21 hours ago

Less of a third pincer and more of a fifth column, as it were.

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 4 points 21 hours ago

Trump is planning a pincer attack on Europe

Dude's got half the Navy off the coast of Venezuela just arbitrarily killing anyone in a boat. If he's planning to re-Normandy Europe by way of Greenland (presumably between island hoping off Taiwan into mainland China and sending ground troops to stamp out the Houthis in Yemen) he's coming at it with surprising subtlety.

[–] NewSocialWhoDis@lemmy.zip 7 points 1 day ago* (last edited 23 hours ago) (4 children)

As much as I understand the worry from Europe,

  1. this would be deeply unpopular across the political spectrum in the US. Even MAGA would hate this. Who's I do think Trump is a Russian stoog, he hasn't yet (can't?) consolidate enough power to do this unilaterally.
  2. all of Trump's actions seem to primarily revolve around what will benefit him personally, through his corruption of the Justice and financial systems. This would devastate markets across the world.

This strikes me as in line with the Trump administration firing/ ignoring any and all types of oversight.

[–] jj4211@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago

Broadly, I agree.

I would still worry as while they might not actively attack, they may happily just nope on out of helping any NATO allies. NATO allies are more self-sufficient than before, but NATO without US forces and equipment would be much weaker than an active US.

However, he might just go and pick up Greenland if things pop off. If NATO were chewing on a fight with Russia, I think it would be a safe bet that europe would barely spare the time to shake their head disapprovingly if US just went and occupied Greenland. I don't think they'd actually do a hot war with western european nations, but could easily see them just 'declaring' ownership of Greenland and no one stopping them.

[–] Jhex@lemmy.world 7 points 1 day ago (2 children)

this would be deeply unpopular across the political spectrum in the US

more or less unpopular than having a pedophile as president?

[–] NewSocialWhoDis@lemmy.zip 2 points 21 hours ago* (last edited 21 hours ago)

Having a pedophile is pretty unpopular... It's starting to rend MAGA apart. Ongoing open warfare would be much harder to hide than child abuse from 10-20 years ago though, so it would be harder for the MAGA faithful to deny.

[–] phoenixz@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Absolutely These people don't care about kids that they don't know being abused. Their own children dying on the battlefield though, that's a different matter

[–] Jhex@lemmy.world 3 points 23 hours ago

While I see your point, I had to travel a lot for work a few years back... and I got tired of seeing moms, dads and girlfriends making a show at the airport about how their sons/boyfriends/husbands were going to war to DEFEND the USA and PROTECT xyz

I think the brain washing has been thorough enough that they'll have enough meat for the grinder.

If the people of the USA did not revolt after the WMD fiasco and the American lives lost there, I doubt another war for profit would be any different

[–] calcopiritus@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

Just need a bit of propaganda. If half of Americans were convinces trump is a good president (the best even!), they can be convinced that invading Europe is a great idea.

Just tell them that wokeness has invaded Europe and they need being saved by the US.

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[–] IndustryStandard@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Germany should build up a massive army to pre-emptively invade Russia. But first they should unite the rest of Europe. It is very pressing so there is no way to do this except by toppling their corrupt regimes. In fact lets start with Poland.

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 2 points 21 hours ago

Germany should build up a massive army

The median German is 45 years old.

[–] SailorFuzz@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago

History doing a pirouette

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[–] CosmoNova@lemmy.world 154 points 2 days ago (10 children)

Germany should probably consider expelling all US troops stationed in Germany in response and make a public announcement that this is being discussed at least. You can‘t just sit still when a supposedly close ally suddenly slaps the door at you.

[–] chiliedogg@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago

They're banking on the US eventually turning back around. The US presence in Germany has been historically very beneficial to them, and kicking them out is the kind of move that's hard to take back.later.

[–] ramble81@lemmy.zip 51 points 1 day ago (8 children)

Frankly I’ve always thought the concept of military bases on foreign soil was creepy at best. And it’s hilarious how many people welcome it and the. Freak out when Saudi Arabia is looking at a base in the US. Now you know how it feels.

[–] TankovayaDiviziya@lemmy.world 24 points 1 day ago (5 children)

Contrary to certain narratives, and while it has some merit, US bases are in said countries at the explicit request of host countries because there is a perceived bigger and more existential threat next door. The host country is basically subcontracting the defense to the United States. Trolls would tell you that these countries were "influenced" or "coerced" to let American troops be stationed. Well, the US is not the one claiming the entirety of South China Sea, or invading Ukraine. South East Asia and EU want US troops to stay because of this. Poland is very US friendly, and so are Taiwan, Vietnam and Philippines. The Philippines elected to kick the American soldiers out 34 years ago, but are now regretting it with the benefit of hindsight due to territorrial dispute in South Chins Sea. Certain actors who push for US withdrawal stand to benefit from it for obvious reasons.

[–] 0_o7@lemmy.dbzer0.com 9 points 1 day ago (3 children)

Trolls would tell you that these countries were "influenced" or "coerced" to let American troops be stationed.

Oh please, this is the bullshit propaganda we're all used to on mainstream. US does coerce them internally to have their bases everywhere. Biden even said repeatedly they would have to invent Israel if it wasn't there already. US bases are known to have caused deplorable rapes and crimes across the globe, which are then silenced or swept under the rug by the US. When the citizens complain and want them out, they are silenced by coercing the local governments. But I assume people who don't want racist rapists and criminals in their community are trolls too, right?

https://www.npr.org/2024/07/12/nx-s1-5035032/sexual-assault-cases-involving-u-s-military-personnel-strain-relations-with-japan

Bootlickers propagandists would tell you that these country specifically request US base to be stationed. Well let's change the subject to china to divert the topic cuz we all hate China here, am I right?

China is threat to south China sea, like US is in Central America. How would you like some Chinese or Russian bases in Cuba, Venezuala, or the Bahamas?

No, you'd fucking cry like a little pussy and embargo them. Oh no, you already do that. So much for countries that want to do what they want, right?

"Do as I say, not as I do."

No surprise there, so don't come with that self-aggrandizing, virtue signalling bullshit about threats and coercing.

One of the "threat" is currently playing out and already committed war crimes near Venezuela. And that isn't China.

You aren't fooling anyone. I'd go back to reddit where this shit flies because US bases just love reddit.

P.S. Fuck Chinese and Russian governments too.

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[–] Mrkawfee@lemmy.world 12 points 1 day ago (1 children)

The US has over 700 bases in 80 countries. Countries "invite" them in just like countries "willingly" use the dollar for international trade. Its structural dependancy by an imperial power. The British did the same thing 150 years ago.

[–] TankovayaDiviziya@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

Although with Trump's shenanigans, US dollar is gradually losing its value.

Many countries consciously outsource defense to the US, so that they could invest in their own people instead. A clear evidence of this attitude is when Spain expressed hesitancy to increase their defense budget. Obama has a point that EU has been "free riding". However, the way Trump makes US allies to "pull their weight" is more coercive than diplomatic.

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[–] CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org 27 points 2 days ago

I'm guessing there's a lot of smaller steps they could take to make the US hurt, but yes, they shouldn't ignore it. Going to the media was probably step 1.

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[–] MonsterMonster@lemmy.world 73 points 2 days ago (15 children)

Trump is doing Putin's work.

[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 7 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

isolating the USA so they cant intefere in eastern europe, and former soviet states. Also delaying or stopping the adoption of green energy, which will hurt RUSSIA in the long run,

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