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US pullout from Europe to weaken NATO's strategy against Russia, China — newspaper

According to Junge Welt columnist Arnold Scholzel, the alliance is struggling to maintain anti-Russian sentiment in the region, and US-China negotiations are creating doubts among the political elite about the confrontation with Beijing

© AP Photo/ Andreea Alexandru

BERLIN, May 21. /TASS/. The reduction of US troops in Europe will jeopardize NATO's anti-Russian strategy in the region, according to an article published by the Junge Welt newspaper.

According to the publication, if US troop reductions in Europe continue, NATO's military strategy against Russia and China will be threatened. As columnist Arnold Scholzel said, the alliance is struggling to maintain anti-Russian sentiment in the region, and US-China negotiations are creating doubts among the political elite about the confrontation with Beijing.

He believes that the German elite, "driven almost to the point of self-destruction by its Russia mania," is shocked by the news of the reduced US presence in Europe. On May 19, NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe Alexus Grynkewich stated that the United States may withdraw several hundred more troops from Europe in addition to the 5,000 currently being withdrawn from Germany. However, he declined to answer a question about whether further announcements regarding the withdrawal of American troops from Europe should be expected in the near future, emphasizing that he did not want to "get ahead of political decisions" from Washington.

Earlier, US Assistant to the Secretary of War for Public Affairs Sean Parnell stated that Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth had ordered the withdrawal of 5,000 American troops from Germany. He said the troop withdrawal is expected to be completed within the next six to 12 months.

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