A possible reduction of the US military presence in Europe, now being actively discussed in Washington, could affect not only regional security but also the economies of countries hosting American bases, Die Welt writes in an article on plans for a partial withdrawal of troops from Germany, Italy and Spain.

According to the newspaper, the Pentagon estimates the number of US servicemen stationed in Europe at around 80,000. Their presence has long gone beyond a purely military role. Soldiers and their families rent housing, spend money in local shops, use small-business services and generate steady demand for regional companies.

Germany remains the central hub of the American military footprint in Europe. Around 36,000 US troops are based there, along with key elements of American infrastructure: Ramstein Air Base, the Landstuhl hospital, and the headquarters of US European Command and US Africa Command.

The article notes that some German regions would feel a troop drawdown especially sharply. Around Ramstein, the economic effect of the US presence is estimated at more than €1.7 billion per fiscal year. The town’s mayor, Torsten Gredler, warned that any reduction in the contingent would deliver a serious blow to the local economy.

American bases also occupy an important place in NATO’s strategic architecture. US nuclear weapons are stationed in Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy and Turkey, where they are treated as part of the alliance’s deterrence system.

The publication stresses that Washington needs its European facilities not only to defend allies. Former US Army Europe commander Ben Hodges argued that American troops are not in Europe simply to protect Europeans. In his view, the United States cannot defend itself only from Texas, North Carolina or Florida; it needs forward positions across multiple regions to deploy air, naval and ground forces, including in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the Arctic.

In this context, the most important sites include the British air bases at Fairford, Mildenhall and Lakenheath, Spain’s Rota base, Italy’s Sigonella and Aviano facilities, as well as infrastructure in Poland, Romania and Turkey. Many of these locations are used in NATO logistics and in routes for supplying military aid to Ukraine.

German commentators note that a smaller US presence on the European continent could weaken NATO’s capabilities on its eastern and southern flanks and complicate Washington’s own operational planning. For the United States itself, the consequences of such a step could therefore prove even more serious than for European countries.