The US Department of Defence plans to withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany, a decision that comes amid a heated dispute between President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over the war with Iran. The move was announced a day after Trump criticized Merz for suggesting the US had been "humiliated" by Iranian negotiators.
In social media posts, Trump accused Merz of "doing a terrible job" and having "problems of all kinds," including on immigration and energy. The Pentagon confirmed the withdrawal order came from Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth, with spokesman Sean Parnell stating it followed "a thorough review of the Department's force posture in Europe." The withdrawal is expected to be completed within six to twelve months.
The US maintains its largest European military presence in Germany, with over 36,000 active duty troops as of last December. Trump, a longstanding critic of NATO, has been lashing out at allies for refusing to participate in operations to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. He also suggested pulling troops from Italy and Spain, calling them unhelpful.
Merz had earlier told university students that "the Americans clearly have no strategy" and that the "entire nation" was being "humiliated" by Iranian leadership. Trump responded on Truth Social, claiming Merz thought it was "OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon" and that he "doesn't know what he's talking about."
This is not the first time Trump has proposed reducing US troops in Germany. In 2020, a plan to move 12,000 troops was blocked by Congress and reversed by President Joe Biden. At that time, Trump accused Germany of being "delinquent" on NATO's 2% GDP spending target. However, under Merz, Germany has dramatically increased defence spending, projecting €105.8 billion by 2027, reaching 3.1% of GDP.
The decision has drawn criticism from some Republicans in Congress and concern from Eastern European countries wary of Russia. It follows a similar US troop reduction in Romania, part of Trump's plan to shift military focus from Europe to the Indo-Pacific region.
Source: www.bbc.com