Liberal Forum

European leaders on edge as prospect looms of Trump pulling 20K troops from the continent. "The Europeans have a serious problem of readiness … that they’re trying to fix, but it takes time," Camille Grand, a former NATO official who is now with the European Council on Foreign Relations, said in a Washington Post report Sunday. "If Trump decides ‘I’m going to pull out U.S. troops from Germany because I’m upset with the trade imbalance,’ that’s much more complicated to manage than to say we have a plan to do this within X years."

European leaders on edge as prospect looms of Trump pulling 20K troops from continent

The problem is that Europe cannot have any confidence that Europe can rely on Europe for protection and defense. 30 plus years post-cold war, the US is still on the hook for funding everyone else's defense? Why are we the ones responsible for putting up the agreed upon sum of money to fund NATO, but none of our partners are? They can fund their own defense or start kicking in more money, so the American taxpayer isn't decimated anymore. How is it that the United States is basically expected to 'build a wall of defense' for so many countries and yet our own borders have been invaded? I hope Trump pulls all of our military out of Europe.  They haven't done enough over the decades to help themselves.  YET, they just stepped up to send over a billion dollars to Ukraine.  Not to mention that one of those countries just decided NOT to fuel our navy?  Pull all of our military and equipment out.  Works for me. 
 
 

MR-7 » 03 Mar 2025, 6:36 am » wrote: ↑

03 Mar 2025, 6:36 am

European leaders on edge as prospect looms of Trump pulling 20K troops from the continent. "The Europeans have a serious problem of readiness … that they’re trying to fix, but it takes time," Camille Grand, a former NATO official who is now with the European Council on Foreign Relations, said in a Washington Post report Sunday. "If Trump decides ‘I’m going to pull out U.S. troops from Germany because I’m upset with the trade imbalance,’ that’s much more complicated to manage than to say we have a plan to do this within X years."

European leaders on edge as prospect looms of Trump pulling 20K troops from continent

The problem is that Europe cannot have any confidence that Europe can rely on Europe for protection and defense. 30 plus years post-cold war, the US is still on the hook for funding everyone else's defense? Why are we the ones responsible for putting up the agreed upon sum of money to fund NATO, but none of our partners are? They can fund their own defense or start kicking in more money, so the American taxpayer isn't decimated anymore. How is it that the United States is basically expected to 'build a wall of defense' for so many countries and yet our own borders have been invaded? I hope Trump pulls all of our military out of Europe.  They haven't done enough over the decades to help themselves.  YET, they just stepped up to send over a billion dollars to Ukraine.  Not to mention that one of those countries just decided NOT to fuel our navy?  Pull all of our military and equipment out.  Works for me.

They've been suckling on out teat way too long...
 

Now England and France are attempting to create some "peace deal" with Ukraine that will be acceptable to Putin.

Good luck with that!! Seeing how the ONLY way that can work is if the United States is backing it and I SERIOUSLY doubt Trump will capitulate to any damn thing these lily dicked idiots would ever want.

Hell, had we not bailed them out in 2 World Wars, there would be no France or Great Britain today. They couldn't even beat the Germans, much less have the balls or manpower to beat the Russians.

ROG62 » 03 Mar 2025, 6:41 am » wrote: ↑

03 Mar 2025, 6:41 am

They've been suckling on out teat way too long...

Europe is worthless. Let them fend for themselves. Bring our military back home. Finish the wall at the southern border. Place our military on the southern and northern borders. Place our military (Navy/Coast Guard) on our East and West coast, and The Gulf of America. It's time for America to take care of Americans. 
 

After years of war with billions spent and a million plus dead....France and the UK announced the first serious effort to stop the war.

Now they are going to move to secure Ukraine's mineral wealth with a "Deal"....a very original idea isn't it?

ROG62 » 03 Mar 2025, 6:41 am » wrote: ↑

03 Mar 2025, 6:41 am

They've been suckling on out teat way too long...

That's just the continental Europeans for you.  This was why Hitler had no difficulty steamrolling over most of Europe (except Switzerland). They simply have no concept of funding a serious, national, defensive military on a permanent basis.  I'm not including the Brits in this. Nor, historically, the Germans.
 

Skans » 03 Mar 2025, 9:51 am » wrote: ↑

03 Mar 2025, 9:51 am

That's just the continental Europeans for you.  This was why Hitler had no difficulty steamrolling over most of Europe (except Switzerland). They simply have no concept of funding a serious, national, defensive military on a permanent basis.  I'm not including the Brits in this. Nor, historically, the Germans.

well, after WWI, Deutschland wasn't 'allowed' to have any sizable military, which adolf obviously sidestepped...

and you're right, why should they since we did?
 

MR-7 » 03 Mar 2025, 7:05 am » wrote: ↑

03 Mar 2025, 7:05 am

Europe is worthless. Let them fend for themselves. Bring our military back home. Finish the wall at the southern border. Place our military on the southern and northern borders. Place our military (Navy/Coast Guard) on our East and West coast, and The Gulf of America. It's time for America to take care of Americans.

I agree, end the 'you need us' **** with endless foreign aid and trying to install puppet gubments in the name of 'democracy' that none of them ever want...
 

ROG62 » 03 Mar 2025, 10:03 am » wrote: ↑

03 Mar 2025, 10:03 am

well, after WWI, Deutschland wasn't 'allowed' to have any sizable military, which adolf obviously sidestepped...

and you're right, why should they since we did?

If we were to have lost all or most of Europe to the Communist Russians, I wonder how that would have played out?  Probably the same as it did, just on a bigger scale. We would still have a fractured Europe, just marginally poorer and less capable than they are today.
 

MR-7 » 03 Mar 2025, 6:36 am » wrote: ↑

03 Mar 2025, 6:36 am

European leaders on edge as prospect looms of Trump pulling 20K troops from the continent. "The Europeans have a serious problem of readiness … that they’re trying to fix, but it takes time," Camille Grand, a former NATO official who is now with the European Council on Foreign Relations, said in a Washington Post report Sunday. "If Trump decides ‘I’m going to pull out U.S. troops from Germany because I’m upset with the trade imbalance,’ that’s much more complicated to manage than to say we have a plan to do this within X years."

European leaders on edge as prospect looms of Trump pulling 20K troops from continent

The problem is that Europe cannot have any confidence that Europe can rely on Europe for protection and defense. 30 plus years post-cold war, the US is still on the hook for funding everyone else's defense? Why are we the ones responsible for putting up the agreed upon sum of money to fund NATO, but none of our partners are? They can fund their own defense or start kicking in more money, so the American taxpayer isn't decimated anymore. How is it that the United States is basically expected to 'build a wall of defense' for so many countries and yet our own borders have been invaded? I hope Trump pulls all of our military out of Europe.  They haven't done enough over the decades to help themselves.  YET, they just stepped up to send over a billion dollars to Ukraine.  Not to mention that one of those countries just decided NOT to fuel our navy?  Pull all of our military and equipment out.  Works for me.

More of our taxes and the blood of our soldiers being taken advantage of. What have we ever received in return? 

Good riddance to them. 

Vegas » 03 Mar 2025, 10:43 am » wrote: ↑

03 Mar 2025, 10:43 am

More of our taxes and the blood of our soldiers being taken advantage of. What have we ever received in return? 

Good riddance to them.

Thank GOD for TRUMP.