German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius has urged Europe to bolster its own defenses following Pentagon’s announcement of planned drawdown of 5,000 US troops from Germany.
The move comes amid growing rift over Iran war and tariff tensions between the US and Europe. Trump had previously called for reduced military presence in Germany as far back as his first term.
Pistorius stated that partial withdrawal would affect current US presence of almost 40,000 soldiers stationed in Germany. According to Pentagon’s Defence Manpower Data Centre, there were 36,436 active service members in Germany as of December last year.
“We Europeans must take on more responsibility for our own security,” Pistorius said, adding “Germany is on the right track” by expanding its armed forces and building infrastructure.
The withdrawal was expected to be completed over next six to twelve months. NATO spokesperson stated that alliance was working with US to understand details of decision.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk expressed concern about latest setback to transatlantic community amid ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. “The greatest threat to the transatlantic community are not its external enemies, but the ongoing disintegration of our alliance,” he wrote on X.
US presence in Germany began as occupation force after World War Two and peaked during 1960s when hundreds of thousands American military personnel were stationed there to counter Soviet Union during Cold War.