(AFP) – NATO said on Saturday it was working with the United States to understand Washington’s decision to withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany as a rift in transatlantic ties deepens over the Middle East war. The Pentagon’s announcement of the troop withdrawal follows a spat between US President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who said on Monday that Iran was “humiliating” Washington at the negotiating table. It also came as Trump announced that tariffs on cars and trucks from the European Union would jump from 15 percent to 25 percent next week, accusing the bloc of failing to comply with a trade deal signed last summer.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said Friday the withdrawal of around 5,000 troops from Germany was expected “to be completed over the next six to twelve months.” NATO said Saturday it was “working with the US 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,” NATO spokeswoman Allison Hart wrote on X. There were 36,436 active-duty US troops in NATO ally Germany as of December 31, 2025, compared to 12,662 in Italy and 3,814 in Spain.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said Saturday the US troop withdrawal “from Europe and also from Germany was to be expected.”
The decision is being met with skepticism by top Republican lawmakers who oversee US military policy. In a joint statement Saturday, Senator Roger Wicker and Representative Mike Rogers, chairs of the Armed Services Committees in their respective chambers, warned that pulling troops from Germany risks “sending the wrong signal to Vladimir Putin.” Even though European allies are boosting defense spending, “translating that investment into the military capability needed to assume primary responsibility for conventional deterrence will take time,” they said. The duo noted that Germany had heeded Trump’s calls for greater spending on defense and that it had allowed American planes to use German bases and airspace during the ongoing conflict with Iran.
Trump has threatened to slash US troop numbers in Germany and other European allies during both his White House terms, saying he wants Europe to take on greater responsibility for its defense rather than depending on Washington. He now appears determined to punish allies who have failed to back the Middle East war or contribute to a peacekeeping force in the crucial Strait of Hormuz waterway, which Tehran’s forces have effectively closed. Trump said on Thursday he might pull US troops from Italy and Spain due to their opposition to the Iran war. “Italy has not been of any help to us and Spain has been horrible, absolutely horrible,” he told reporters. “Yeah, probably, I probably will. Why shouldn’t I?” Trump said.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Thursday that Berlin was “prepared” for a reduction in US troops and “discussing it closely and in a spirit of trust in all NATO bodies.” However, Wadephul said large American bases in Germany are “not up for discussion at all” and cited the example of Ramstein Air Base, which he said has “an irreplaceable function for the United States and for us alike.”
– W.G. DUNLOP
© 2024 AFP
