US to Withdraw 5,000 Troops from Germany

The Pentagon announced Friday that the United States will withdraw approximately 5,000 troops from Germany over the next six to 12 months, a decision directly tied to President Trump's frustration with European allies who have refused to directly join America's military campaign against Iran. The announcement came a day after Trump publicly criticized German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who had stated that the Americans were being "humiliated" by Iranian negotiators and that the U.S. "clearly has no strategy" on Iran. Trump responded by calling Merz someone who "doesn't know what he's talking about." As of December 2025, more than 36,000 active duty U.S. service members were stationed in Germany, along with nearly 1,500 reservists and 11,500 civilians, making it the country with the largest American military presence in Europe. Germany hosts the headquarters of U.S. European Command and Africa Command, as well as Ramstein Air Base, a critical hub for U.S. operations. The Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, the largest U.S. hospital abroad that has treated troops injured by Iranian strikes, will remain operational. The troop withdrawal exposes deepening rifts between Trump and NATO allies, many of whom have avoided directly participating in the U.S.-Iran war. Germany authorized the use of its bases for American strikes against Iran, a decision Trump praised, while Spain closed its airspace to U.S. combat aircraft and Italy denied use of a Sicilian airbase for operations. Trump has threatened similar troop reductions against Spain and Italy, calling both countries unhelpful. He has long accused NATO members of underfunding their militaries and has threatened to leave the alliance, though a 2023 law prevents him from doing so without Congressional approval. Some withdrawn troops may be redeployed to the Indo-Pacific region or returned to the U.S. homeland, officials said. Trump previously attempted troop reductions in Germany at the end of his first term, but that plan was cancelled by President Joe Biden.