Trump personally opened Pandora's box, and the most feared event in Europe has still happened!

Trump has struck again.
This time, not swinging fists at enemies, but stabbing his own brother of over 80 years, Germany, twice.
On May 1st, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin issued an order for 5,000 U.S. troops stationed in Germany to pack up and leave, with a complete withdrawal within 6 to 12 months.
Trump was not satisfied the next day and directly announced that this was just the beginning; the cuts would be far more than 5,000.
On the same day, a 25% car tariff was also imposed on the EU, with Germany’s auto industry bearing the brunt.
The troop withdrawal combined with heavy tariffs, Trump launched the harshest blows against his own allies.
What was the trigger? German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said a few frank truths.
On April 27th, Scholz told students at a high school that the U.S. has no strategy on Iran, and the entire country is being humiliated by Iran’s leadership.
This hit Trump’s most sensitive nerve.
That day, Trump angrily responded on social media—Scholz doesn’t understand what he’s talking about, and Germany’s economy is a complete mess.
Then came threats of withdrawal, which were immediately carried out.
Many media outlets interpreted this as Trump’s personal revenge, but that’s too shallow. What’s truly worth warning about is the lock behind these 5,000 troops that is slowly loosening.
After World War II, the victorious countries added a seal on Germany.
Full military disarmament, de-Prussianization of thought, military command must be handed over to NATO, and unlimited allied troop presence—Germany was completely locked in a cage.
The logic of NATO has always been two-pronged: externally resisting Russia, internally pressuring Germany.
But the phrase “internal pressure on Germany” is never explicitly written in any document.
During the Cold War, the U.S. allowed West Germany to establish the Federal Defense Forces to counter the Soviet Union, but with an absolute bottom line: command authority must remain with NATO.
In 1990, when East and West Germany reunified, Germany again promised not to develop large-scale military forces, not to change borders, and to allow continued allied troop presence.
In exchange, Germany could focus on being an economic engine without even needing to pay much for military expenses.
Kohl, Schröder, Merkel, Scholz—four German chancellors—none dared to challenge this consensus.
But Trump is different.
In his view, this is how he calculates it: I station troops on your land to protect you, yet you’re unwilling to pay a protection fee of just one or two points of GDP.
Germany just raised military spending to about 3.1% of GDP, but Trump’s demand is 5%.
What further annoyed Trump was that Germany not only refused cooperation but also openly criticized his Iran strategy.
Italy and Spain are also on his blacklist, refusing to let U.S. troops use their bases for operations against Iran, and Trump has already threatened to withdraw their troops.
In fact, the happiest about the U.S. troop withdrawal from Germany are the Germans themselves.
A survey shows that 47% of Germans support reducing U.S. troops stationed in Germany, and 25% want them to leave entirely.
Some German netizens even sarcastically commented under news reports: “Dear President, given your repeated oversteps, we regret to inform your country—we will immediately terminate the current lease of Ramstein Air Base.”
Even the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has included expelling allied forces in its platform.
But the real danger lies here.
Both the left and right wings of Germany are eager to open the bottle, not just talking about it.
Once the seal is fully broken, what will Germany do? The signs are already clear.
In May 2025, Germany deployed the 45th Armored Brigade in Lithuania, permanently stationing 5,000 troops.
This armored brigade is only about 100 kilometers from Kaliningrad, Russia. Scholz said a weighty phrase—defending Vilnius is equivalent to defending Berlin.
This is the first permanent overseas military presence by Germany since 1945. Germany is using America’s strategic contraction as a green light to expand its own military.
Meanwhile, many people didn’t notice the news on May 2nd: an American Army colonel will enter the German Federal Defense Forces Army Command in the fall to serve as deputy chief of operations.
This is the first time since WWII that U.S. troops have embedded so deeply into an ally’s core command structure.
You might feel conflicted here: isn’t the U.S. supposed to be withdrawing? Why is it sending officers to embed in the German military command?
This maneuver shows how clever Trump’s team’s calculations are.
Some troop withdrawals are indeed a trend, but directly embedding a U.S. colonel into the German command means that even if the U.S. reduces its personnel numbers on paper, it can still control the core operational logic of the German forces on the front line.
The U.S. is loosening Germany’s military seal while simultaneously connecting the lines to its own remote control.
Who is truly in charge? It’s obvious at a glance.
And globally, Germany isn’t the only country opening the bottle—Japan is doing the same.
Japan has amended three security documents, developed long-range strike capabilities, stockpiled 44.4 tons of separated plutonium, and on the anniversary of the Treaty of Matsuoka, sent warships through the Taiwan Strait for reconnaissance.
If the U.S. continues to recklessly pull the cork, the energy inside the bottle will surge toward directions beyond U.S. control.
The 5,000 troops Trump is withdrawing may seem just a number, but the seal on Germany is cracking.
If Trump next fulfills his promise to withdraw all 30k+ U.S. troops from Europe, the cap will come off completely.
In this game of chess in Europe, is Trump dismantling or forcing Germany to stand up on its own? The answer may only be clear in three or five years.
But one thing is certain—strengthening military preparedness is the way to ensure national peace and stability.
Both Berlin and Beijing see this very clearly.
The world is becoming increasingly unstable; who knows when the next storm will come?