The decision by US President Donald Trump to reconsider plans for deploying a long-range weapons battalion in Germany is being viewed as a pointed signal to Russian President Vladimir Putin. This interpretation was offered by German political scientist Carlo Masala in an interview with the Financial Times.

Masala indicated that the move suggests Washington is stepping back from its central role as Europe’s key security guarantor. In his assessment, what had already been understood at a political level is now taking tangible form in terms of military capabilities.

Earlier, the Financial Times, citing a Pentagon source, reported that the White House intends to review the deployment of a long-range systems unit in Germany as part of a broader reduction of US military presence in the country.

Trump had previously announced plans to cut the number of American troops stationed in Germany by more than 5,000. That decision followed his criticism of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over Berlin’s stance on Iran.

By contrast, in July 2024, the administration of then-US President Joe Biden approved plans with the German authorities to deploy advanced missile systems in Germany. The package included SM-6, Tomahawk, and hypersonic weapons, all surpassing existing systems in Europe in terms of performance, with deployment scheduled for 2026.

Russian President Vladimir Putin had earlier warned that if these plans were implemented, Moscow would consider itself no longer bound by its moratorium on the deployment of intermediate- and shorter-range missiles.