US Troop Withdrawal ‘Foreseeable,’ Germany Says as Donald Trump Signals More Cuts

Germany's Defense Minister has stated that the U.S. decision to withdraw 5,000 troops from his country was "already known," while the NATO military alliance says it is seeking clarification from Washington regarding the matter.

Boris Pistorius also emphasized that "the presence of U.S. troops in Europe—and particularly in Germany—is in our interest, as well as in the interest of the United States."

Meanwhile, NATO spokesperson Oana Lungescu said the alliance is "working with the U.S. to understand the details of their decision."

When asked about the troop withdrawal on Saturday night, Trump said: "We are going to make a substantial reduction in troop numbers, and we are withdrawing far more than 5,000 troops." He did not provide further details on the matter.

This move by Washington comes after President Donald Trump criticized German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, alleging that Iranian negotiators had "humiliated" the U.S. during the ongoing conflict.

The U.S. military deployment in Germany—which currently stands at over 36,000 active-duty troops—is the largest in Europe; by comparison, approximately 12,000 troops are stationed in Italy and 10,000 in the UK.

When asked about the troop withdrawal on Saturday night, Trump said: "We are going to make a substantial reduction in troop numbers, and we are withdrawing far more than 5,000 troops." He did not provide further details on the matter.

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Last year, Washington decided to reduce its troop presence in Romania; this was part of a plan by Trump to shift the focus of U.S. military commitments away from Europe and toward the Indo-Pacific region. Now, within the 32-member NATO alliance, concerns are mounting that this latest decision by the U.S. could weaken the organization.

Warning on Saturday, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated, "The greatest threat to the transatlantic community is not its external enemies, but rather the ongoing disintegration of our alliance."

He further added, "To reverse this destructive trend, we must all do whatever is necessary."

Meanwhile, two senior U.S. lawmakers from Trump's Republican Party expressed that they are "deeply concerned by the decision to withdraw a U.S. Army brigade from Germany." "Rather than completely withdrawing its forces from the continent, it is in America's interest to maintain a strong deterrent presence in Europe," said Senator Roger Wicker and Representative Mike Rogers, who chair the Senate and House Armed Services Committees, respectively.

In an interview with DPA on Saturday, Pistorius also stated that Europe must assume greater responsibility for its own security, and that Berlin would now work even more closely with its allies across the continent.

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"Germany is on the right track," he said, noting that his country has significantly increased its military spending in recent years.

Trump had previously accused Germany of being "delinquent," as its military spending fell significantly short of NATO's target of 2% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

However, under the current government, this situation has changed completely; it is now estimated that Germany will spend €105.8bn (£91bn) on defense in 2027.

Overall, Germany's defense spending is projected to reach 3.1% of its GDP. This figure includes other defense-related funds, such as Berlin's ongoing support for Ukraine as it continues its fight against Russian invading forces. In a post on X on Saturday, NATO's Allison Hart stated that the U.S. decision to withdraw troops from Germany "underscores that Europe must continue to invest more in defense and shoulder a greater share of the responsibility for our shared security."

"We are already seeing progress, as allies agreed at last year's NATO summit in The Hague to invest 5% of their GDP."

The latest spat between Trump and Merz was sparked on Monday by comments made by the German Chancellor.

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He remarked, "The Iranians are clearly very adept at negotiating—or rather, very adept at *not* negotiating; they let the Americans come all the way to Islamabad and then send them back without any results."

He further added that "the entire country" was being "humiliated" by Iran.

In response, Trump stated on his platform, Truth Social, that Merz believes "it is fine for Iran to possess nuclear weapons" and that "he has no idea what he is talking about."

The announcement regarding the withdrawal of U.S. troops followed shortly thereafter.

Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell stated that the order came from Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.

The spokesperson added, "We expect the troop withdrawal to be completed within the next six to twelve months."

Trump, a long-time critic of the NATO alliance, has been lashing out at allies for refusing to participate in operations to reopen the Strait of Hormuz—a vital route for oil transport.

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