European Union Foreign Policy chief Kaja Kallas told reporters on Monday that although “there has been a talk about withdrawal of US troops for a long time from Europe,” the “timing of this announcement comes as a surprise” to the EU.
“It shows that we have to really strengthen the European pillar in Nato, and we have to really do more,” Kallas said, adding that American troops are in Europe to protect “American interests” as well as European ones.
The Pentagon said last week that the US would remove 5,000 of its soldiers from Germany after divisions between the countries over the Iran war, although German chancellor Friedrich Merz insisted there was “no connection” between the decision and the recent row.
