The United States Department of Defense announced on Friday the withdrawal of approximately 5,000 American troops from Germany over the next six to 12 months. This reduction represents roughly 14 percent of the U.S. service members currently stationed in the country. The sudden move, which was made without prior warning to allies, comes amid an ongoing feud between President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
The tension was sparked by Chancellor Merz's criticism of the U.S. war in Iran and Washington's strategy, including remarks that Iran was humiliating the United States. President Trump has expressed increasing frustration with European nations, accusing them of ignoring requests for assistance in the conflict and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. president has since doubled down on the decision, indicating that a substantial further reduction of troops in Germany is imminent and that the U.S. will be cutting a lot further than 5,000. Trump also threatened earlier in the week to rollback troops in Italy and Spain.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius stated that Europe must assume greater responsibility for its own security, while still emphasizing the importance of shared military interests with the U.S. While German officials claimed they were not surprised, the move has rattled NATO allies and sparked fears that Europe can no longer rely on Washington. NATO spokesperson Allison Hart said the organization is working with the U.S. to understand the details of the drawdown.
Internally, some branches of the U.S. military reportedly learned of the decision in real time without prior knowledge. Meanwhile, top Republicans have warned that reducing troop numbers sends the wrong signal to Russian President Vladimir Putin.