German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius on Saturday described the Pentagon’s plan to remove about 5,000 U.S. troops from Germany as “anticipated,” and said Berlin is prepared to take on a larger share of European defense responsibilities. Speaking to dpa, Pistorius said the American military presence in Europe — and in Germany in particular — remains important for both sides and that Germany must continue to bolster the European pillar of NATO if it wants to remain a strong transatlantic partner.
A Pentagon spokesman, Sean Parnell, told NPR the move was ordered by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after “a thorough review of the Department’s force posture in Europe” and that the withdrawal should be completed within six to 12 months. The planned pullout would reduce U.S. troop numbers in Germany by roughly 5,000 but still leave more than 30,000 Americans stationed there, reversing part of the buildup that began under President Biden after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The announcement has renewed questions among European allies about NATO’s cohesion and Washington’s long-term commitment to the continent. Allison Hart, a NATO spokesperson, said on X that the alliance is coordinating with the United States to clarify the details and stressed that the episode highlights the need for European members to invest more in their own defense.
Germany is already rapidly expanding its armed forces and defense budget under Chancellor Friedrich Merz, with plans to spend the equivalent of more than 3% of GDP on defense by next year — well above NATO’s 2% guideline. The troop reduction follows recent tensions: Merz publicly criticized the U.S. strategy in the Iran conflict and said the U.S. was being “humiliated” by Iranian leadership, according to the Associated Press.
The move echoes an earlier effort by former President Trump to shrink U.S. forces in Germany: in 2020 he sought to withdraw about 9,500 troops, a plan that stalled and was later reversed by President Biden in 2021. This week President Trump also suggested he may reduce troop levels in Italy and Spain, singling out both countries for what he called unhelpful responses to the Iran crisis. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez have been vocal critics of U.S. military action in Iran.