Trump wants to withdraw “far more” than 5,000 soldiers

Military

Trump wants to withdraw “far more” than 5,000 soldiers

On Friday, US Defense Secretary Hegseth announced that 5,000 US soldiers would be withdrawn from Germany. President Trump now speaks of “far more” than 5,000.

US President Donald Trump has confirmed the withdrawal of US soldiers from Germany. “We will reduce significantly, by well over 5,000 (soldiers),” he said at the airport in Palm Beach, Florida, in response to a reporter’s question. On Friday, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the withdrawal of 5,000 US soldiers from Germany. It should be completed in the next six to twelve months.

There are currently around 39,000 soldiers stationed in Germany. The US Department of Defense made it clear that the withdrawal decision followed a review of the US troop presence in Europe. Trump recently announced that he would consider such a step. He previously criticized Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) after he made critical comments about the US war against Iran.

Meanwhile, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) tried to de-escalate. He highlighted the continued common interests. “The presence of American soldiers in Europe and especially in Germany is in our interest and in the interest of the USA,” he told the German Press Agency in Berlin.

At the same time, he made it clear that the decision was not unexpected. It is clear that NATO must become more European in order to remain transatlantic. “We Europeans must take more responsibility for our security,” said Pistorius. Germany is on the right track.

Meanwhile, NATO tried to gain more clarity. “We are working with the USA to find out the details of their decision on troop presence in Germany,” said a spokeswoman on the X platform.

There have been dozens of large US military bases in Europe for decades. They are of great importance in American missions in the Middle East, for example. In Germany, these include the US High Command for Europe in Stuttgart and, as a US Air Force hub, Ramstein Airfield in Rhineland-Palatinate.

According to a report in the New York Times, citing sources in the US Department of Defense, there are no immediate plans to reduce personnel in Landstuhl, Rhineland-Palatinate, or other medical facilities for US armed forces.

According to information from the US military in mid-April, 86,000 soldiers are currently stationed in Europe – 39,000 of them in Germany. The number changes regularly, also due to rotations and exercises. The number of 5,000 soldiers is therefore not considered particularly serious.

Merz and Trump maintained a fairly good relationship for months. However, with regard to the Iran war, the Chancellor became increasingly critical in public. During a recent discussion with students, he said that the United States could not end the war quickly “because the Iranians are obviously stronger than expected and the Americans obviously don’t have a really convincing strategy in the negotiations.” Trump then personally attacked Merz: “He has no idea what he’s talking about!” he wrote on the Truth Social platform.