The Pentagon announced the withdrawal of 5,000 troops from Germany following Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s criticism of the U.S. and Israeli war against Iran.
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement on Friday that he expects the withdrawal “to be completed over the next 6 to 12 months,” according to The Washington Post.
At a talk with students in Marsberg on Monday, Merz said the U.S. “is being humiliated by the Iranian leadership,” adding that it “quite obviously went into this war in Iran without any strategy whatsoever.”
“I hope that this ends as quickly as possible,” Merz said.
President Donald Trump responded on Truth Social the next day that his German counterpart “doesn’t know what he’s talking about!”
“If Iran had a Nuclear Weapon, the whole World would be held hostage. I am doing something with Iran, right now, that other Nations, or Presidents, should have done long ago,” Trump said. “No wonder Germany is doing so poorly, both Economically, and otherwise!”
Then on Wednesday, Trump said that the U.S. was studying and reviewing a reduction of troops in Germany.
On Saturday, Germany’s Defense Minister Boris Pistorius downplayed the removal of U.S. troops from Germany, Politico reported.
“It was anticipated that the U.S. might withdraw troops from Europe, including Germany,” Pistorius said. “If we are to remain transatlantic, we must strengthen the European pillar within NATO.”
NATO spokesperson Allison Hart said in a statement that the organization is “working with the U.S. to understand the details” of the troop withdrawal, adding the move “underscores the need for Europe to invest more in defense,” Politico reported.
European officials expressed concern, including Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who said on X “the greatest threat to the transatlantic community are not its external enemies, but the ongoing disintegration of our alliance.”
“We must all do what it takes to reverse this disastrous trend,” Tusk said.
Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, said in a statement that the U.S. taking troops out of Germany would embolden Russia in its war with Ukraine.
The order “is not grounded in any coherent U.S. national security policy, strategy, or even analysis,” Smith said. “Trump has directed this move simply because he got his feelings hurt by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s statements criticizing his war of choice with Iran.”
And the U.S. might not be done withdrawing troops from other countries, either. Asked by a reporter if he’s considering the same for Spain and Italy, as they refused to let the U.S. use their military bases in the Iran war, Trump said “probably.”
“Why shouldn’t I?” he asked. “Italy has not been of any help to us, and Spain has been horrible, absolutely horrible.”