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\n\t\t\t\tAmerican and German flags wave side by side at Pegnitz Airfield, Germany, in this undated photo. A co-chair of Germany\u2019s increasingly popular far-right party on Saturday called for all U.S. forces to be removed from the country. (Jacob Bradford\/U.S. Army)
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STUTTGART, Germany \u2013\u00a0The co-chair of Germany\u2019s increasingly popular far-right party has called for the removal of all U.S. forces from the country, adding that Berlin should follow Spain\u2019s lead and deny the use of its bases<\/a> for the Iran war.<\/p>\n Tino Chrupalla, who leads the Alternative for Germany party alongside Alice Weidel, used a political gathering in Saxony over the weekend to push for the removal of the roughly 37,000 U.S. troops based in the country.<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s start implementing this,\u201d said Chrupalla, as quoted Saturday by Germany\u2019s Bild newspaper<\/a>.<\/p>\n Chrupalla also said Germany should avoid being drawn into international conflicts. He cited Spain, which has come under fire from the Trump administration for refusing access to its bases for the Iran campaign, as an example to follow.<\/p>\n The comments carry no practical effect on current German policy, since AfD is not part of Berlin\u2019s coalition government.<\/p>\n But AfD over the years has grown from a fringe movement in Germany to a major political force. Recent polls show it is among the most popular parties in Germany.<\/p>\n The AfD has long called for a more independent German foreign policy, including an end to hosting U.S. troops and a loosening of ties with NATO.<\/p>\n \t\t \n\t\t\t\tMultiple C-17 Globemaster III aircraft park on the flight line at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, on Sept. 4, 2024. Ramstein is a major hub for American operations across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. (Eve Daugherty\/U.S. Air Force) The remarks come at a time of high tension<\/a> inside NATO amid disagreements over the Iran war<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n President Donald Trump on Friday ratcheted up his criticism of the alliance, saying that the refusal of NATO members to help open the Strait of Hormuz amounted to a loyalty test. Trump suggested that the lack of allied involvement in the effort could mean that the United States doesn\u2019t need to defend allies in Europe if they were to come under attack.<\/p>\n At a political event in Miami, Trump said that the U.S. has invested heavily to ensure the defense of the continent, \u201cbut now, based on their actions, I guess we don\u2019t have to be, do we?\u201c<\/p>\n \u201cWhy would we be there for them if they\u2019re not there for us? They weren\u2019t there for us,\u201d Trump added.<\/p>\n During the last months of Trump\u2019s first term he planned to pull some 12,000 troops from Germany, but the concept wasn\u2019t put into action by the time President Joe Biden took office.<\/p>\n![\"C-17](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/310326AFDphoto02.jpg\")
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