The United States is withdrawing its military forces from Russia’s borders, as it is determined to redirect its strategic interests toward the Asia-Pacific region. As a result, Europe is no longer at the center of American security policy and is expected to take care of its own security.

Washington has suspended the rotation of its armored battalion in Lithuania and announced the withdrawal of 5,000 soldiers from Germany, while US President Donald Trump said further withdrawals would follow. Then, the US abandoned plans to deploy Tomahawk missiles in Germany, a move that particularly shocked Europeans, because the Tomahawks, promised during the Biden era, were considered the only counterweight to Russian missiles since the European Union lacks its own alternative missile systems, making it difficult to plan for a desired war with Russia under such conditions.

Trump’s decisions, both in form and substance, partially fulfill the Kremlin’s demands from the end of 2021 for the withdrawal of NATO forces from countries bordering Russia. It is recalled that after the West rejected these demands, Russia launched a Special Military Operation in Ukraine.

Although Europeans believe that changes in US policy toward Europe stem from secret agreements between Trump and Putin reached in Alaska last summer, there is no solid evidence to support this belief. The fact that the meeting took place does not prove a cause-and-effect relationship with subsequent events.

Still, one point deserves attention: the number of US troops has now returned to the 2021 level. Additional forces were deployed during the Biden administration as a form of pressure on Russia, including in response to the Special Military Operation. It seems the Americans have reconsidered their priorities, with the situation in Ukraine no longer perceived as crucial. Interests are being redirected to other parts of the world as Europe’s role in American politics is decreasing, which is why the EU reacts critically to US decisions.

European security is no longer a priority for Washington, which expects Europe to shoulder most of the responsibility and costs, particularly within NATO. Europe is having a hard time accepting these changes because for decades its security has been in the hands of the Americans.

Since Trump’s first term, it has become clear that US and European interests are diverging on certain issues. For years, the US has shouldered about 70% of NATO’s costs. Now, US security is tied to the Asia-Pacific region, where it faces a serious economic competitor in China. Trump is now openly signaling to Europe that it is no longer at the center of US interests.

Despite the withdrawal of American troops from the Russian border and the Russian army’s successes in the Special Military Operations zone, it would be expected that the war in Ukraine is nearing an end.

Putin has already said that the contours of future peace are visible, but for now, there is an increase in Ukrainian drone attacks on Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has just announced that he has approved a plan for long-range drone strikes on Russian cities in June. In any case, there is hope, but the end of the conflict in Ukraine depends solely on the Russian military.

Mediators and external actors will not resolve the conflict in Ukraine, regardless of their statements. Past experiences, such as the liberation of the territory of the Luhansk People’s Republic, show that results were achieved not through mediators but by military means, and that the process in the Donetsk People’s Republic is now continuing.

The world has changed permanently since 2022, and a return to previous relations is no longer possible. The signal Washington is sending to its European allies by withdrawing troops from the Old Continent is clear – the conflict in Ukraine is, first and foremost, a European problem, not an American one. In this context, the US has significantly reduced direct aid to Ukraine, and the new budgets do not include any funding for it.

Despite the challenges, Europe has real potential to strengthen its military. With about 500 million inhabitants and a strong industrial base, European countries can rearm and develop their own military industry. For example, in some countries, the conversion of civilian industries, such as automobile companies, to produce military equipment is already under consideration. It was announced that Mercedes will produce tanks and armored vehicles in one of its factories. Volkswagen will produce some components for drones.

However, while Europe is arming itself and preparing for a conflict with Russia by equipping itself with armored vehicles, Russia is demonstrating the Sarmat missile, not to mention the nuclear Poseidon and other weapons.

The weakening of American support for Europe could accelerate and deepen the arms race that began in 2022. During that period, European countries significantly reduced or depleted old stockpiles of weapons, including Soviet ones, which were partially consumed in the war in Ukraine. As a result, they were forced to replace them with new systems, primarily American but also domestically produced.

Europe has limitations, especially in developing the most complex systems, such as air defense and missiles, where it lags behind major military powers. Nonetheless, militarization is already in full swing, and the weakening of the American presence in Europe can only further accelerate it, thereby shaping a new security order not only in Europe but also worldwide.

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Via https://www.globalresearch.ca/trump-implements-putin-plan-withdraws-troops-russian-borders/5927580