American and German flags wave side by side at Pegnitz Airfield, Germany, in this undated photo. A co-chair of Germany’s increasingly popular far-right party on Saturday called for all U.S. forces to be removed from the country. (Jacob Bradford/U.S. Army)
STUTTGART, Germany – The co-chair of Germany’s increasingly popular far-right party has called for the removal of all U.S. forces from the country, adding that Berlin should follow Spain’s lead and deny the use of its bases for the Iran war.
Tino Chrupalla, who leads the Alternative for Germany party alongside Alice Weidel, used a political gathering in Saxony over the weekend to push for the removal of the roughly 37,000 U.S. troops based in the country.
“Let’s start implementing this,” said Chrupalla, as quoted Saturday by Germany’s Bild newspaper.
Chrupalla also said Germany should avoid being drawn into international conflicts. He cited Spain, which has come under fire from the Trump administration for refusing access to its bases for the Iran campaign, as an example to follow.
The comments carry no practical effect on current German policy, since AfD is not part of Berlin’s coalition government.
But AfD over the years has grown from a fringe movement in Germany to a major political force. Recent polls show it is among the most popular parties in Germany.
The AfD has long called for a more independent German foreign policy, including an end to hosting U.S. troops and a loosening of ties with NATO.
Multiple C-17 Globemaster III aircraft park on the flight line at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, on Sept. 4, 2024. Ramstein is a major hub for American operations across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. (Eve Daugherty/U.S. Air Force)
The remarks come at a time of high tension inside NATO amid disagreements over the Iran war.
On Monday, Spain announced that it had closed its airspace to U.S. military planes involved in operations against Iran, an escalation from an earlier decision to block U.S. use of bases in the country for such missions. It wasn’t clear if the decision would have any notable effect on operations, such as forcing military planes to reroute.
President Donald Trump on Friday ratcheted up his criticism of the alliance, saying that the refusal of NATO members to help open the Strait of Hormuz amounted to a loyalty test. Trump suggested that the lack of allied involvement in the effort could mean that the United States doesn’t need to defend allies in Europe if they were to come under attack.
At a political event in Miami, Trump said that the U.S. has invested heavily to ensure the defense of the continent, “but now, based on their actions, I guess we don’t have to be, do we?“
“Why would we be there for them if they’re not there for us? They weren’t there for us,” Trump added.
During the last months of Trump’s first term he planned to pull some 12,000 troops from Germany, but the concept wasn’t put into action by the time President Joe Biden took office.
The Trump administration hasn’t indicated what its plans are for the U.S. military force posture in Germany or the rest of Europe, but numerous allies have been anticipating potentially significant cuts at some point during Trump’s second term.
