As European leaders gather for a summit in Armenia, NATO’s Secretary General has responded to the US announcement of plans to withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany.
US President Donald Trump has accused some NATO countries of not supporting the US enough in the war with Iran, although German Chancellor Friedrich Merz insisted there was “no connection between his falling out” with Trump and the withdrawal of US troops.
“European countries have received the message from Trump and are ensuring that agreements on the use of military bases are implemented,” said Mark Rutte.
“There has been some disappointment on the American side, but the Europeans have listened,” he added.
“They are now ensuring that all bilateral basing agreements are being implemented,” the NATO chief continued.
Spain has said that military bases on its territory cannot be used for the war in Iran, but Rutte stated that other NATO countries such as Montenegro, Croatia, Portugal, Britain, France and Germany are implementing requests for the use of bases and other support.
He also said that “more and more” European nations were prepositioning assets near the Gulf, to be ready for a “next phase.”