German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius sought to project calm after the Pentagon announced plans to withdraw roughly 5,000 U.S. troops from Germany, calling the move “anticipated” and saying Germany is prepared to shoulder more of its defense. Pistorius told the German news agency dpa that American forces in Europe, especially in Germany, serve both U.S. and German interests and that remaining a transatlantic partner requires strengthening NATO’s European pillar.
A Pentagon spokesman, Sean Parnell, said the order came from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and resulted from “a thorough review of the Department’s force posture in Europe” and conditions on the ground. He said the withdrawal is expected to be completed over the next six to twelve months. Even after the reduction, the U.S. would still station more than 30,000 troops in Germany, reversing part of a buildup ordered under President Biden after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The announcement followed recent public remarks by Chancellor Friedrich Merz criticizing U.S. policy and saying the U.S. was being “humiliated” by Iranian leadership, comments that coincided with the administration’s move. The Trump administration previously attempted a troop reduction in Germany during its first term, seeking to pull about 9,500 troops in 2020; that effort stalled and was reversed by President Biden in 2021.
NATO spokesperson Allison Hart posted that the alliance is working with the United States to understand the details of the withdrawal and said the decision highlights the need for European members to invest more in their own defense. Germany is already expanding its military and, under Merz, is on track to spend the equivalent of more than three percent of GDP on defense by next year, above NATO’s two-percent guideline.
President Trump also indicated he is weighing troop reductions in Italy and Spain, telling reporters he “probably will” consider cuts and questioning why not, singling out both countries for what he described as unhelpful responses to the Iran conflict. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez have been outspoken critics of U.S. military action in Iran.