Trump orders 5,000 US troops to leave Germany
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- Trump announced that the United States will withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany, roughly one brigade, within the next six to 12 months.
- Germany currently hosts 36,500 US troops, part of an overall US force of nearly 70,000 in Europe, so the planned cut removes 5,000 of those troops.
- US armed services committees warned that any reduction in US forces in Europe risks undermining deterrence and sending the wrong signal to Vladimir Putin.
- NATO urges accelerated defence spending and self‑reliance across Europe as the US withdrawal creates a timeline mismatch that leaves Europe with insufficient time to boost and reconfigure its defences.
- Washington cautioned that deliveries of weapons to European customers, including the UK, could be subject to long delays because of low US stocks and priority for Middle East requirements.
- Merz criticized US actions, saying Iranian negotiators were “humiliating” the US, prompting Trump's response.
- Germany and NATO officials are seeking clarification from Washington on the troop reduction plan.
Why it matters: The reduction threatens European deterrence by shrinking the US presence that has underpinned NATO's security umbrella, while also pressuring EU members to boost their own defence spending and accelerate weapons procurement amid US stock shortages, and threatens long delays to deliveries that weaken European allies' ability to support Ukraine.
