They are a legacy of World War Two – a symbol of U.S. commitment to protecting its European allies.
But U.S. military forces stationed in Germany are reportedly going to be sharply reduced.
President Donald Trump plans to pull out 9,500 American soldiers by September – reducing the number to 25,000.
Troops will either be redeployed elsewhere or sent home.
It’s being seen as the latest twist in relations between Washington and Berlin.
Tensions between the two sides have been strained over a number of disagreements.
But defence spending has been of particular concern for Donald Trump.
He’s repeatedly pressed Germany to increase its military budget.
And he’s criticised NATO allies for relying on the U.S. to shoulder the costs of maintaining the alliance.
But why is this move coming now?
And should U.S. allies and NATO be concerned?
Presenter: Laura Brennan
Guests
Andrew Bacevich, U.S. military historian and Professor Emeritus of International Relations and History at Boston University.
Ulrich Brueckner political analyst and Professor in European Studies at Stanford University Berlin
Pavel Felgenhauer, defence analyst.
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