German Chancellor Friedrich Merz gives a statement during his visit to the army at the Bundeswehr base in Munster, Germany, Thursday, April 30, 2026.
Markus Schreiber/AP
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Markus Schreiber/AP
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius tried to project calm Saturday after the Pentagon announced he was withdrawing about 5,000 troops from his country, calling the decision “early” and insisting his country is ready to take on a greater burden of its defense.
“The presence of American troops in Europe, and particularly in Germany, responds to our interests and those of the United States,” the defense minister told the German news agency dpa. Pistorius added that if Germany wants to remain a transatlantic partner, it must work to strengthen the European pillar within NATO. The Trump administration’s announcement Friday that it would withdraw troops from Germany raised concerns among European allies, raising new questions about the durability of the NATO alliance and the United States’ long-term commitment to the continent.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement to NPR on Saturday that the order came from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and that it reflected “a comprehensive review of the Department’s force posture in Europe” and conditions on the ground.
“We expect the withdrawal to be completed in the next six to twelve months,” Parnell said.
The withdrawal would leave more than 30,000 U.S. troops in Germany, reversing a buildup that began under President Biden following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The announcement comes days after Chancellor Friedrich Merz publicly said the United States was being “humiliated” by the Iranian leadership and criticized U.S. strategy in the war, according to the Associated Press.
The president had attempted a similar reduction during his first term, when he attempted to withdraw about 9,500 troops from Germany in 2020, citing inadequate German defense spending. That effort did not get off the ground and was formally revoked by President Biden shortly after taking office in 2021.
NATO spokesperson Allison Hart said on Saturday that the alliance was working with the United States to understand the details of the withdrawal and that the announcement underscored the need for European members to invest more in their own defense.
Germany is already undergoing a historic expansion of its own defense forces in response to that invasion. Under Merz, the country is on track to spend the equivalent of more than three percent of GDP on defense next year, well above NATO’s two percent benchmark, according to plans outlined last year.
Trump also indicated this week that he was also weighing trope reductions in Italy and Spain.
“Yeah, I probably will…look, why shouldn’t I?” Trump told reporters Thursday, singling out both countries for what he described as futile responses to the Iran conflict. Both Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez have openly criticized US military action in Iran.