The United States will withdraw about 5,000 troops from Germany in the next six to 12 months, the Pentagon announced Friday, following a public clash between President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over the US war with Iran.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement that the decision follows a thorough review of the Department’s force posture in Europe and is in recognition of theater requirements and conditions on the ground. “We expect the withdrawal to be completed over the next six to twelve months,” he said.
The move comes after Trump threatened to withdraw some troops from the NATO ally earlier this week when Merz said the US was being “humiliated” by the Iranian leadership and criticized Washington’s lack of strategy in the war.
A senior Pentagon official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said recent German rhetoric had been inappropriate and unhelpful. “The president is rightly reacting to these counterproductive remarks,” the official said.
Germany hosts about 35,000 to 36,000 active-duty US military personnel, more than anywhere else in Europe. The number of troops leaving would be 14 percent of the force stationed there. Germany also hosts several US military facilities, including the headquarters of US European and Africa commands, Ramstein Air Base, a medical center in Landstuhl, and US nuclear missiles.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the withdrawal. A brigade combat team currently stationed in Germany will be pulled out, and a planned deployment of a long-range fires battalion has been cancelled.
The drawdown will bring US troop levels in Europe back to roughly pre-2022 levels, before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine triggered a buildup under then-President Joe Biden.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said the partial withdrawal was expected. “We Europeans must take on more responsibility for our own security,” Pistorius said, adding that Germany is on the right track by expanding its armed forces and speeding up military procurement. He also called the presence of American soldiers in Europe “in our interest and in the interest of the US.”
The decision drew criticism from US lawmakers. Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said the withdrawal suggests American commitments to allies are dependent on the president’s mood. “The president should immediately cease this reckless action before he causes irreversible consequences for our alliances and long-term national security,” Reed said. Top Republicans Roger Wicker and Mike Rogers also expressed concern, saying any significant change to the US military’s presence in Europe must be reviewed and coordinated with Congress and US allies.
The Pentagon said it is not immediately clear whether the 5,000 troops would be redeployed within Europe or returned to US bases.
Trump had proposed withdrawing about 9,500 troops from Germany during his first term, but the plan was halted after Joe Biden took office in 2021. The president also suggested he might pull troops from Italy and Spain, saying “Yeah, probably… Why shouldn’t I?” when asked Thursday.
