NATO : ce qu'il faut savoir

The US is "studying and reviewing" whether to reduce the thousands of troops it has stationed in Germany, President Donald Trump has announced via social media. NATO s'impose comme l'un des sujets qui mobilisent l'attention en Norway ce jeudi.

Les faits

• The US is "studying and reviewing" whether to reduce the thousands of troops it has stationed in Germany, President Donald Trump has announced via social media.
• In 2020, a proposal to move 12,000 US troops from Germany either to other Nato countries in Europe or back to the US, was blocked by Congress and then reversed by President Joe Biden.
• At the time, Trump had accused Germany of being "delinquent" because its military spending was well below Nato's target of 2% of economic output (GDP).
• Over the past two months, the US president has repeatedly threatened to withdraw from the 32-member Nato alliance, calling it a "paper tiger" and a "one-way street".
• His remarks come after the German chancellor criticised the US approach to the war in Iran.

L'essentiel

Dans le détail, In 2020, a proposal to move 12,000 US troops from Germany either to other Nato countries in Europe or back to the US, was blocked by Congress and then reversed by President Joe Biden.

Sur le fond, At the time, Trump had accused Germany of being "delinquent" because its military spending was well below Nato's target of 2% of economic output (GDP).

Concrètement, Over the past two months, the US president has repeatedly threatened to withdraw from the 32-member Nato alliance, calling it a "paper tiger" and a "one-way street".

Au-delà de ce constat, his remarks come after the German chancellor criticised the US approach to the war in Iran.

Reste à préciser que Asked whether he would also consider pulling US troops from Nato allies Italy and Spain, Trump responded: "I probably will - look, why shouldn't I?

Les chiffres

À noter par ailleurs : the US has a significant military presence in Germany, with more than 36,000 active duty troops assigned to bases across the country as of last December.

Plus précisément, Germany, along with the UK and France, was part of a 2015 deal with Iran to limit its nuclear operations, although Trump pulled the US out of the agreement in 2018.

Dans la foulée, the US military deployment in Germany is by far its biggest in Europe, with about 12,000 troops in Italy and a further 10,000 in the UK.

À ce stade, But that has changed dramatically under the Merz government: Germany is projected to spend €105.8bn (£91bn) in 2027 - with total defence expenditure next year set to reach 3.1% of GDP.

Ce qui se dit

“The United States is studying and reviewing the possible reduction of Troops in Germany, with a determination to be made over the next short period of time,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform Wednesday night.

“The whole affair is ill-considered to say the least,” he said, while emphasizing Berlin’s desire for the war to end as soon as possible. “At the moment, I cannot see what strategic exit the Americans are now opting for.”

“From my perspective, my personal relationship with the US president remains good,” Merz told reporters, while highlighting the negative impact the war is having on Germany’s economy and energy supplies.

Le contexte

Reste à préciser que Merz made no mention of Trump's comments during a visit to German soldiers in northern Germany on Thursday, although he went out of his way to stress the importance of the Nato defensive alliance and "transatlantic solidarity".

À noter par ailleurs : However, while Merz has this week complained of the economic consequences for Europe of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, Trump has been angered by the response of Nato allies in Europe to the war in Iran.

Plus précisément, Earlier in April, a leaked internal Pentagon email detailed potential measures for the US to punish allies it believed had failed to support its campaign in Iran, including a suggestion that the US could seek to suspend Spain from Nato over its stance.

Dans la foulée, a Nato official told the BBC that the alliance's founding treaty "does not foresee any provision for suspension of Nato membership, or expulsion".

À ce stade, Katya Adler: Europe's Nato allies push back at reported US threat to Spain.

Recherches associées

Plusieurs requêtes connexes accompagnent ce sujet : L’OTAN réaffirme son ferme attachement au Traité sur la non-prolifération des armes nucléaires • La France absente du prochain NATO Tiger Meet ! • Army chief speaks out over NATO mission involving Portugal • L’Otan confrontée à une crise de confiance sans précédent • NATO MEDEVAL : Bâtir un vivier d’évaluateurs des unités médico-chirurgicales • Safran : contrat majeur avec la NATO 'Helicopter Management Agency'.

À retenir

• His remarks come after the German chancellor criticised the US approach to the war in Iran.
• A Nato official told the BBC that the alliance's founding treaty "does not foresee any provision for suspension of Nato membership, or expulsion".
• The US has a significant military presence in Germany, with more than 36,000 active duty troops assigned to bases across the country as of last December.
• Recherches qui explosent : L’OTAN réaffirme son ferme attachement au Traité sur la non-prolifération des armes nucléaires, La France absente du prochain NATO Tiger Meet !, Army chief speaks out over NATO mission involving Portugal, L’Otan confrontée à une crise de confiance sans précédent.