The United States is withdrawing 5,000 troops from Germany, a NATO ally, the Pentagon announced on Friday (1), as the widening distance between President Donald Trump and Europe over the Iran war grows.
Trump had threatened a reduction of forces at the start of this week after discussing with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who said on Monday that the Iranians were humiliating the United States in negotiations to end the two-month war.
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A senior Pentagon official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that the recent German rhetoric was “inappropriate and ineffective.”
“The president is reacting with good reason to these counterproductive comments,” said the official.
The Pentagon said the withdrawal is expected to be completed in the next six to twelve months.
The official said that the withdrawal would bring U.S. troop levels in Europe back to pre-2022 levels, before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine triggered an uptick under then-President Joe Biden.
Germany is the largest base for U.S. armed forces in Europe, with about 35,000 active-duty military personnel, and serves as an important training hub.
