The Central and East European Coalition (CEEC) sent a letter on July 15th to President Trump expressing concerns about his proposal to withdraw approximately 9000 U.S. servicemembers stationed in Germany.
Copies were also sent to the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of State, and the chairmen and ranking members of the Senate and House Armed Services Committees.
The letter was drafted and signed by Estonian American National Council (EANC) Washington, DC Director, Karin Shuey.
The EANC is a founding member of the CEEC. The coalition was established in 1994 and represents more than 20 million American voters whose heritage lies in this region.
Its member organizations cooperate in calling attention to issues of mutual concern, especially as regards United States policy toward Central and East Europe.
The CEEC regularly shares its concerns and ideas with the United States Congress and Administration.
Please see below for the full letter. It is also posted on the CEEC website at ceecoalition.us. EANC encourages its community members who agree with the points in the letter to contact their Senators and Representatives on the issue.
The President
The White House
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. President:
The Central and East European Coalition (CEEC), representing over 20 million Americans of central and eastern European heritage, is writing to express our concern over the prospect of withdrawing large numbers of American troops from Germany.
Such a move would directly weaken the security of frontline states like Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland – and of the United States and the rest of NATO by extension; reduce U.S. influence in Europe; and embolden Russian President Putin to continue or increase his aggressive policies that threaten European democracy and transatlantic security.
These U.S. forces in Germany are what give operational credibility to American and NATO forces operating out of Poland and the Enhanced Forward Presence battalions in the Baltic nations.
Many members of our communities have served in the U.S. armed forces, often in the European theater, and understand that Germany holds a unique position in the transatlantic alliance.
Cleary, it has not yet increased its defense spending to the 2% threshold members pledged over ten years at the 2014 NATO summit in Wales.
At the same time, the German government has allowed the U.S. and other allies to build bases, airfields, hospitals and communities, and host tens of thousands of servicemembers and their families, on German soil.
This is an indispensable contribution to the success of NATO and the deterrence the alliance has enforced since 1949.
The infrastructure and force presence established in Germany cannot be reduced or replicated elsewhere without compromising the military power they have come to represent.
NATO’s continued success depends on solidarity and strengthening the trust and relationships built among its allies over seven decades.
Withdrawing U.S. forces from Germany would gravely undermine that trust and those relationships.
The CEEC calls for U.S. policy and action that uphold the long history of American leadership in NATO to ensure that transatlantic security remains strong and effective.
To this end, we ask that U.S. force levels in Germany remain at their current levels or higher.
The CEEC was established in 1994 and represents more than 20 million American voters whose heritage lies in this region.
Its member organizations cooperate in calling attention to issues of mutual concern, especially as regards United States policy toward Central and East Europe.
The CEEC regularly shares its concerns and ideas with the United States Congress and Administration.
We thank you for your consideration on this vitally important issue to U.S. national security.
Please contact the undersigned at [email protected] with any questions or comments.
On behalf of the CEEC,
Karin A. Shuey
Commander, U.S. Navy (Retired)
Washington, DC Director
Estonian American National Council
Cc: Secretary of Defense
Secretary of State
Chairman and Ranking Member, Senate Armed Services Committee
Chairman and Ranking Member, House Armed Services Committee
