Leader of AfD Demands US Troops Withdraw from Germany

(MENAFN) The leader of Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, Tino Chrupalla, has publicly called for the removal of American military forces from German soil, local media reported Monday — a demand that lands as Washington itself weighs drawing down its own presence in the country.

Speaking at the party's conference in the eastern state of Saxony, Chrupalla issued a blunt challenge to the current security arrangement between Berlin and Washington.

"Let's start putting this into practice—by withdrawing US troops from Germany," a newspaper cited Chrupalla as saying.

The remarks align squarely with the AfD's formal policy position, which states: "The AfD advocates for the withdrawal of all allied troops still stationed on German soil, and in particular their nuclear weapons."

Chrupalla also urged Germany to recalibrate its foreign policy posture, pointing to Spain as a model worth emulating. Madrid, led by a socialist prime minister, has publicly opposed the ongoing military campaign waged by the US and Israel against Iran and has barred Washington from utilizing Spanish military installations for that conflict.

Approximately 38,000 US troops are currently based across Germany, concentrated primarily in the southwestern state of Rhineland-Palatinate — home to the strategically critical Ramstein Air Base — as well as in the southern states of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg.

Chrupalla's call comes at a moment of unusual alignment with elements within the Trump administration, which is reportedly exploring the possible redeployment of its forces out of Germany. That option has been under consideration since President Donald Trump returned to office last year, according to a report released Friday.

Sources with knowledge of the administration's internal deliberations conveyed deep dissatisfaction with European allies to The Telegraph, warning that defense burden-sharing had become a breaking point.

"The frustration we've had with the Europeans has been very real," the sources said, adding that "any country that's not paying five percent shouldn't be allowed to vote on future expenditures at NATO."

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