Trump pledges to cut U.S. troops in Germany far more than 5,000 as a defense official says the armed services were blindsided by the move

(SeaPRwire) –   President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that the U.S. would significantly reduce its military presence in Germany, intensifying a disagreement with Chancellor Friedrich Merz as Trump seeks to diminish America’s commitment to European security.

The Pentagon had initially declared on Friday its intention to withdraw approximately 5,000 troops from Germany. However, when questioned on Saturday about the rationale for this action, Trump offered no explanation, stating instead that an even larger reduction was forthcoming.

“We’re going to cut way down. And we’re cutting a lot further than 5,000,” Trump informed reporters in Florida.

Earlier on Saturday, Germany’s defense minister appeared to accept the news of 5,000 U.S. troops departing his country without significant alarm.

Boris Pistorius noted that the drawdown, which Trump had threatened for years, was anticipated. He emphasized that European nations needed to assume greater responsibility for their own defense, while also highlighting that security cooperation benefited both sides of the trans-Atlantic partnership.

“The presence of American soldiers in Europe, and especially in Germany, is in our interest and in the interest of the U.S.,” Pistorius told the German news agency dpa.

The plan faces bipartisan resistance

The proposed withdrawal encountered bipartisan opposition in Washington, drawing swift criticism from Democrats and concern from Republicans that it would convey an “incorrect signal” to Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose full-scale invasion of Ukraine recently entered its fifth year.

Trump’s decision comes amid his frustration with European allies for their reluctance to join his campaign with Israel against Iran. He has openly criticized leaders such as Merz, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Last week, Merz criticized the conflict in Iran, asserting that the U.S. was being “humiliated” by the Iranian leadership and highlighting Washington’s perceived lack of strategy.

In a further sign of friction, Trump accused the European Union of failing to comply with its U.S. trade agreement and announced plans to raise tariffs on cars and trucks produced in the bloc to 25% next week. This move is expected to be particularly damaging to Germany, a major automobile manufacturer.

At least one EU lawmaker deemed the tariff hike “unacceptable,” accusing Trump of violating another U.S. commitment on trade.

US increased troops after Russian invasion of Ukraine

A withdrawal of 5,000 soldiers from Germany would represent approximately one-seventh of the 36,000 American service members stationed in the country. The Pentagon offered few details regarding which troops or operations would be affected. On Saturday, the Pentagon did not immediately respond to inquiries seeking details on further reductions.

According to the Pentagon, the withdrawal of the 5,000 troops is scheduled to occur over the next six to twelve months. Trump had previously stated during his first term that he would pull 9,500 troops from Germany, but he never initiated the process, and Democratic President Joe Biden formally halted the planned withdrawal shortly after taking office in 2021.

More broadly, between 80,000 and 100,000 U.S. personnel are typically stationed in Europe, with numbers varying based on operations, exercises, and troop rotations. The U.S. increased its European deployment after Russia launched its full-scale war on Ukraine in February 2022. NATO allies, including Germany, have anticipated for over a year that these specific troops would be the first to depart.

Pistorius, in his comments to dpa, asserted, “We Europeans must take on more responsibility for our security,” while emphasizing Germany’s recent efforts to boost its armed forces, accelerate procurement, and develop infrastructure.

NATO spokesperson Allison Hart, in a post on X Saturday, stated that the trans-Atlantic alliance was “working with the U.S. to understand the details of their decision on force posture in Germany.”

“This adjustment underscores the need for Europe to continue to invest more in defense and take on a greater share of the responsibility for our shared security,” she added, noting “progress” among NATO allies toward a target of each investing 5% of their economic output in defense.

A ‘thorough review’ prompted drawdown decision

Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell stated that the “decision follows a thorough review of the Department’s force posture in Europe and is in recognition of theater requirements and conditions on the ground.”

A U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters, revealed that the branches of the U.S. military had no prior knowledge of the decision to draw down the 5,000 troops and learned about it “in real time.”

In response, the Defense Department reiterated that it conducted a thorough review of its force posture in Europe.

“The decision to withdraw troops in Germany follows a comprehensive, multilayered process that incorporates perspectives from key leaders in EUCOM and across the chain of command,” acting Pentagon press secretary Joel Valdez wrote in an email, using the abbreviation for U.S. European Command.

Most U.S. troops in Germany are from the Army and Air Force.

Germany hosts several American military facilities, including the headquarters of the U.S. European and Africa commands, Ramstein Air Base, and a medical center in Landstuhl, where casualties from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq were treated. U.S. nuclear missiles are also stationed in the country.

While the withdrawal of 5,000 troops—the size of a brigade combat team—from Germany would likely have limited impact on combat power, “in terms of messaging of U.S. commitment though, it’s very different,” another U.S. defense official commented.

The only permanent brigade combat team in Germany is the 2nd Cavalry Regiment, alongside an aviation brigade and other assets, which is considered to play an important role in America’s—and NATO’s—ability to deter threats.

GOP lawmakers voice concern about withdrawal plan

Following swift pushback from Democrats on Friday, Republican leaders of both armed services committees in Congress stated Saturday that they were “very concerned” about the troop withdrawal.

Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi and Representative Mike Rogers of Alabama asserted that the decision risked “undermining deterrence and sending the wrong signal to Vladimir Putin.”

They also indicated that the Pentagon had decided to cancel the planned deployment of the Army’s Long-Range Fires Battalion, a detail not mentioned in Parnell’s statement.

Wicker and Rogers maintained that any significant change to the U.S. force posture in Europe warrants review and coordination with Congress.

“We expect the Department to engage with its oversight committees in the days and weeks ahead on this decision and its implications for U.S. deterrence and trans-Atlantic security,” they said in a joint statement.

They further noted that Germany has heeded Trump’s call to shoulder more of the burden of defense spending in Europe, while concurrently granting U.S. forces access to its bases and airspace during the conflict against Iran.