US to withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany

The Pentagon announced on Friday, May 1, that the United States will withdraw approximately 5,000 troops from Germany over the next six to twelve months, following a review of its military posture in Europe.

“The Secretary of War has ordered the withdrawal of approximately 5,000 troops from Germany,” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement. “This decision follows a thorough review of the Department’s force posture in Europe and is in recognition of theatre requirements and conditions on the ground. We expect the withdrawal to be completed over the next six to twelve months.”

The move comes amid growing tensions between Washington and Berlin, after President Donald Trump criticised German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over his remarks on the US war with Iran. Despite the planned reduction, more than 30,000 US troops will remain stationed in Germany, which hosted 36,436 active-duty personnel as of December 2025, according to the US Defence Manpower Data Centre.

Earlier this week, Merz sharply criticized US policy during a visit to a school in central Germany, describing the war as poorly planned. He said the “whole affair is ill-considered to say the least” and added: “The Iranians are obviously very skilled at negotiating, or rather, very skillful at not negotiating, letting the Americans travel to Islamabad and then leave again without any result. An entire nation is being humiliated by the Iranian leadership, especially by these so-called Revolutionary Guards. And so I hope that this ends as quickly as possible.”

Trump responded on Tuesday, saying Merz “doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” and later confirmed that Washington was “studying and reviewing” a possible troop reduction.

The decision echoes Trump’s earlier threat in 2020, during his first term, when he also considered reducing US troop levels in Germany under then-Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Germany remains a key hub for US and NATO operations in Europe, hosting Ramstein Air Base — headquarters of US Air Forces in Europe — as well as major NATO facilities.

The troop reduction also reflects broader strains between the Trump administration and European allies over the Iran conflict, which Washington launched without informing most NATO partners. Trump has repeatedly criticized allies for what he sees as insufficient support and has also raised the possibility of reducing troop levels in Italy and Spain.

“I mean, they haven’t been exactly on board,” Trump said. “Yeah, probably will… Why shouldn’t I? Italy has not been of any help. Spain has been horrible. Absolutely.”

Germany has provided limited support, including allowing US access to its military infrastructure for operations related to the conflict, but has not permitted its bases to be used for direct offensive strikes. Merz has indicated Berlin could expand assistance in a post-war phase, including participation in a potential international stabilization mission.

Berlin has also announced plans to deploy a naval minesweeper to the Mediterranean Sea to support efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz once hostilities end, though these measures have not satisfied Washington.

By Tamilla Hasanova