Two senior US Republican lawmakers have criticized the Pentagon's decision to cut 5,000 American troops stationed in Germany, warning it risks undermining deterrence and sending the wrong signal to Russia.

Roger Wicker and Mike Rogers, who chair the Senate and House armed services committees respectively, said in a joint statement that rather than being withdrawn, those troops should be moved further east to maintain a strong deterrent in Europe.

Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell on Friday said the move followed a thorough review and recognized "theater requirements and conditions on the ground." On Saturday, President Donald Trump said further cuts could take place without providing details.

The US has more than 36,000 active duty troops in Germany, its largest deployment in Europe. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius called the decision "foreseeable" but stressed that American presence in Europe serves both sides' interests.

The NATO military alliance said it was seeking clarification from Washington. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned that "the greatest threat to the transatlantic community is not its external enemies, but the ongoing disintegration of our alliance."

The senior Democrat on the House armed services committee, Adam Smith, said the decision was "not grounded in any coherent US national security policy" but based on "the hurt feelings of a president who is seeking political vengeance."

Trump has also suggested pulling US troops from Italy and Spain. The withdrawal is expected to be completed over the next six to twelve months, according to the Pentagon.

Source: www.bbc.com