US withdrawing 5,000 troops from Germany, US officials say
By Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali
WASHINGTON, May 1 (Reuters) – The United States will withdraw 5,000 troops from NATO ally Germany, the Pentagon announced on Friday, amid a widening dispute between President Donald Trump and Europe over the Iran war.
Trump had threatened to withdraw his forces earlier this week after clashing with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who said on Monday that the Iranians had humiliated the United States in talks to end the two-month war and that he did not understand what exit strategy Washington was pursuing.
A senior Pentagon official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Germany’s recent rhetoric was “inappropriate and unhelpful.”
“The President is rightfully reacting to these counterproductive statements,” the official said.
The Pentagon said the withdrawal is expected to be completed within the next 6 to 12 months. Germany is home to nearly 35,000 active-duty U.S. military personnel, more than anywhere else in Europe.
That withdrawal would bring U.S. military levels in Europe roughly to pre-2022 levels before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine triggers a buildup by then-President Joe Biden, the official said.
The official also made the decision in view of the Trump administration’s push for Europe to become the continent’s main security provider. But it’s still another powerful reminder of Trump’s willingness to respond to perceived disloyalty by his allies.
Reuters last week exclusively reported an internal Pentagon email outlining Washington’s options for punishing NATO allies it believes do not support US operations in the war with Iran, including suspending Spain from NATO and reviewing the US position on Britain’s claim to the Falkland Islands.
CONFLICTS WITH THE EUROPEANS
It is unclear whether further withdrawals from Europe will follow. On Thursday, Trump said “probably” when asked if he would consider withdrawing U.S. troops from Italy and Spain.
Last month, he threatened to impose a full US trade embargo on Spain, whose Socialist leadership said it would not allow its bases or airspace to be used to attack Iran. The United States has two major military bases in Spain: Naval Station Rota and Morón Air Base.
Trump also clashed with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni over the Iran war and Trump’s criticism of Pope Leo. The US president said in April that Meloni, once a strong Trump supporter, lacked courage and had let Washington down.
Trump also chastised NATO allies for not sending their navies to help open the Strait of Hormuz. The waterway, a transit point for global oil shipments, remained virtually closed during the Iran conflict, causing market turmoil and an unprecedented disruption to energy supplies.
“The president has made very clear his frustration with our allies’ rhetoric and their failure to provide support for U.S. operations that benefit them,” the senior Pentagon official said.
GERMAN TIES
Merz said the Germans and Europeans were not consulted before the US and Israel began attacking Iran on February 28, and then conveyed their suspicions about the conflict directly to Trump.
Trump has long wanted to reduce the US military presence in Germany. He pushed for a reduction of approximately 12,000 troops by the end of his first term, but that cut was never enacted. Trump lost the election and Biden reversed the plan.
Trump’s announcement on Wednesday that he would review US troop levels in Germany surprised German military officials who spoke to Reuters, citing what they called constructive meetings at the Pentagon earlier in the day.
They argue that Germany has done more than other allies to support the US war in Iran, including allowing the use of bases and issuing overflight permits. Germany also hosts a major military hospital in Landstuhl.
Earlier this week, the German government approved key targets for the 2027 budget, including a strong commitment to increase defense spending.
Former Pentagon official Imran Bayoumi said the cuts in Germany, although not as severe as they should have been, risked further dividing the United States and Europe.
“European leaders will likely make greater efforts to increase defense spending, viewing Washington as increasingly unreliable and unreliable,” said Bayoumi, who now serves on the Atlantic Council.
As part of Trump’s withdrawal decision, a brigade combat team currently based in Germany will withdraw from the country and a long-range fire battalion that the Biden administration plans to deploy to Germany later this year will no longer be deployed, the official said.
(Reporting by Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali, additional reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Rosalba O’Brien)
