© Omar Sobhani / Reuters
Almost every second German favors the withdrawal of US forces based there, according to a poll taken prior to the NATO summit, at which Donald Trump accused Berlin of relying on Washington's protection and not contributing enough.
Some
42 percent of Germans are ready to see 35,000 US troops return home, a new YouGov poll, conducted on behalf of the German Press Agency,
revealed. Only
37 percent wanted to see US troops stay in Germany in some capacity. The remaining 21 percent did not decide.
The call for withdrawal is especially strong among left-leaning voters, with 67 supporting the move. Some 55 percent of Alternative for Germany (AfD) right-wing backers also called for the removal of US forces. The Greens stand 48 percent in support of ending the US presence in Germany.
The US troops served as a guarantor of West Germany's security during the Cold War. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991,
the US refused to abandon its bases in a unified Germany and kept thousands of troops at the heart of Europe. With the ongoing changes in the transatlantic alliance driven by Donald Trump's determination to cut spending on military support of US allies, the administration has
reportedly hinted that it might be ready to reduce troops in Germany.
Comment: There are still a ways to go before the bill becomes law, if it even gets passed at all. In the meantime, one can expect more of Antifa to play their part in the coming midterm elections. See also: