Senate Armed Services Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and House Armed Services Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Ala., on Saturday raised concerns about President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw a U.S. brigade from Germany, warning the move could weaken deterrence in Europe and send the wrong message to Russia.
"We are very concerned by the decision to withdraw a U.S. brigade from Germany," the two Republican lawmakers said in a joint statement.
Their comments come as the Trump administration moves forward with plans to reduce the American military footprint in Germany, a step that follows longstanding pressure on NATO allies to increase defense spending and take on a larger share of the burden for European security.
Wicker and Rogers acknowledged that Germany has responded to those calls in recent years, pointing to increased defense spending and support for U.S. operations, including access, basing and overflight permissions tied to Operation Epic Fury.
"Germany has stepped up in response to President Trump’s call for greater burden sharing," they said.
Still, the lawmakers cautioned that even as NATO allies move toward higher defense spending targets, it will take time for those investments to translate into the military capabilities needed to assume primary responsibility for conventional deterrence.
"The reality remains even as allies move toward spending 5% of GDP on defense, translating that investment into the military capability needed to assume primary responsibility for conventional deterrence will take time," they said.
They warned that withdrawing U.S. forces too quickly could undermine stability in the region.
"Prematurely reducing America’s forward presence in Europe before those capabilities are fully realized risks undermining deterrence and sending the wrong signal to Vladimir Putin," the statement said.
The lawmakers suggested an alternative approach, urging the Pentagon to consider repositioning forces rather than removing them from the continent entirely.
"Rather than withdrawing forces from the continent altogether, it is in the US interest to maintain a strong deterrent in Europe by moving these 5,000 US forces to the east," they said, arguing that Eastern European allies have invested heavily in hosting U.S. troops.
The proposal aligns with broader concerns among some lawmakers and defense officials that NATO’s eastern flank remains vulnerable as tensions with Russia persist.
The statement also emphasized the need for congressional oversight, calling for a more deliberate review process before making major changes to U.S. force posture abroad.
"Any significant change to U.S. force posture in Europe warrants a deliberate review process and close coordination with Congress and our allies," Wicker and Rogers said.
They added that they expect the War Department to engage with lawmakers in the coming weeks on the decision and its implications for U.S. deterrence and transatlantic security.
The troop withdrawal decision has drawn mixed reactions in Washington and among NATO allies, with some supporting the push for greater European self-reliance while others warn that reducing the U.S. presence too quickly could create strategic gaps.
The debate comes as the alliance continues to grapple with shifting security dynamics, including Russia’s posture in Eastern Europe and ongoing instability tied to the war with Iran, underscoring the stakes of any change to the U.S. military footprint on the continent.
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