The Pentagon announced on Friday that the United States will withdraw 5,000 troops from NATO ally Germany, as a rift over the Iran war widens between President Donald Trump and Europe.
As part of the decision, a brigade combat team currently stationed in Germany will be withdrawn, and a long-range fires battalion that the Biden administration had planned to deploy later this year will no longer be sent.
Trump had threatened a drawdown earlier this week after clashing with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who said on Monday that Iran was humiliating the US in talks to end the two-month war and that he did not see what exit strategy Washington was pursuing.
Pentagon Defends Decision
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 added.
The Pentagon said the withdrawal was expected to be completed within six to 12 months. Germany hosts about 35,000 active-duty US military personnel, more than anywhere else in Europe.
The official said the drawdown would return US troop levels in Europe to roughly pre-2022 numbers, before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine prompted an expanded presence under then President Joe Biden.
He also framed the decision as part of the Trump administration’s push for Europe to become the main security provider on the continent. The move also underscores Trump’s willingness to respond to what he sees as a lack of support from allies.
Reuters reported last week that an internal Pentagon email outlined options to punish NATO allies that Washington believes failed to support US operations in the war with Iran. The proposals included suspending Spain from NATO and reviewing the US position on Britain’s claim to the Falkland Islands.
Clashes With Europeans
It remains unclear whether further withdrawals from Europe will follow. On Thursday, Trump said “probably” when asked whether he would consider pulling US troops out of Italy and Spain.
Last month, he threatened a full US trade embargo on Spain, where the Socialist government said it would not allow its bases or airspace to be used for attacks on Iran. The United States operates two major military bases in Spain: Naval Station Rota and Moron Air Base.
Trump has also clashed with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni over the Iran war and his criticism of Pope Leo XIV. The US president said in April that Meloni, once a strong supporter, lacked courage and had let Washington down.
Trump has also criticized NATO allies for not deploying naval forces to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The waterway, a chokepoint for global oil shipments, has remained largely shut during the conflict, causing market turmoil and severe disruption to energy supplies.
“The president has been very clear about his frustrations about our allies’ rhetoric and failure to provide support for US operations that benefit them”, the senior Pentagon official said.
German Ties Fray
Merz said Germans and Europeans were not consulted before the United States and Israel began attacking Iran on 28 February and that he later conveyed his scepticism directly to Trump.
The US president has long sought to reduce the US troop presence in Germany. He pushed for a reduction of about 12,000 troops at the end of his first term, but the plan was never implemented and was later reversed by Biden.
Trump’s announcement on Wednesday that he was reviewing troop levels in Germany surprised German military officials, who cited what they described as constructive meetings at the Pentagon earlier that day.
They argue that Germany has done more than other allies to support US operations, including allowing the use of bases and granting permission for overflights. Germany is also home to a major US military hospital in Landstuhl.
Earlier this week, the German government approved key targets for its 2027 budget, including a strong commitment to increase defense spending.
Imran Bayoumi, a former Pentagon official, said that while the troop reductions were not as drastic as they might have been, they risk further dividing the United States and Europe.
“European leaders will likely push more to bolster their defense spending, viewing Washington as increasingly unreliable and untrustworthy”, said Bayoumi, now with the Atlantic Council.
(reuters)