Donald Trump has ordered the withdrawal of 5,000 US troops from Germany after Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that Iran had 'humiliated' the White House. The German chancellor, who previously maintained a positive rapport with Trump, provoked his American counterpart's anger this week by asserting that the White House lacks 'a truly convincing strategy in the negotiations' with Iran's leadership.
Speaking to students during a university visit, Merz remarked: 'The Iranians are clearly stronger than expected and the Americans clearly have no truly convincing strategy in the negotiations either. A whole nation is being humiliated by the Iranian leadership.'
In a series of fiery posts on his Truth Social platform on Thursday, Trump branded Merz as 'totally ineffective' and urged him to 'fix his broken country', specifically criticising Berlin's immigration and energy policies. The Pentagon later released a statement confirming the withdrawal of 5,000 troops from German bases over the next year.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell stated that Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth had issued the order, explaining: 'This decision follows a thorough review of the Department's force posture in Europe and is in recognition of theatre requirements and conditions on the ground. We expect the withdrawal to be completed over the next six to twelve months.'
Trump also hinted at potential troop reductions from Italy and Spain, telling reporters: 'I probably will - look, why shouldn't I?' He criticised both nations for their lack of involvement in the Iran conflict, saying: 'Italy has not been of any help to us and Spain has been horrible.'
Germany currently hosts approximately 35,000 active-duty US military personnel, the largest concentration in Europe. This withdrawal would reduce US troop levels in Europe to roughly pre-2022 numbers, before Russia's invasion of Ukraine prompted a buildup under then-President Joe Biden.
Analysts have expressed concerns that the move could weaken NATO forces in Central and Eastern Europe, regions considered vulnerable to potential Russian aggression. Bradley Bowman from the Foundation for Defence of Democracies noted that the US military presence in Germany and elsewhere in Europe 'not only strengthens deterrence against additional Kremlin aggression' but also projects American military power 'into the Mediterranean, the Middle East, and Africa.'
Trump ignored reporters' questions about the withdrawal on Friday as he boarded Air Force One in Florida.
