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Republican lawmakers, chairmen of the House Armed Services Committee, expressed concern about President Donald Trump's administration's plan to withdraw about 5,000 US soldiers from Germany.
"We are deeply concerned about the decision to withdraw a U.S. brigade from Germany," Senator Roger Wicker and Congressman Mike Rogers said in a joint statement.
Rogers chairs the Armed Services Committee in the House of Representatives, while Wicker heads the corresponding committee in the Senate.
The Pentagon announced that it will withdraw about 5,000 US soldiers from Germany within a year, about 15% of the US forces present in the country.
In the statement, the two Republican lawmakers stressed that Germany has significantly increased defense spending, in line with President Trump's demands. They also cited Berlin's cooperation in the war with Iran, including granting permits for flights over German territory.
They said that while allies are increasing defense spending, this has not yet translated into a credible deterrent capacity. Until then, they argued, the US should maintain a strong military presence on the ground.
A premature reduction in troops, according to Wicker and Rogers, risks "weakening deterrence and sending the wrong message to Russian President Vladimir Putin."
"Rather than withdrawing forces completely from the continent, it is in America's interest to maintain a strong deterrent capacity in Europe by moving these 5,000 American troops eastward," they said.
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