Two senior US Republican lawmakers have expressed deep concern over the Pentagon's decision to withdraw 5,000 troops from NATO ally Germany. Senator Roger Wicker and Representative Mike Rogers, who chair the Senate and House armed services committees respectively, issued a joint statement on Saturday warning that the move risks undermining deterrence and sending the wrong signal to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The withdrawal, announced by the Pentagon on Friday, is expected to be completed within six to twelve months. US President Donald Trump had threatened the move earlier this week following comments by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who said that Iranians were 'humiliating' the United States in talks to end the war and questioned Washington's exit strategy.
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said the withdrawal was foreseeable, while NATO spokesperson Allison Hart stated that the alliance was working with the US to understand the details of the decision. Hart added that the move underscores the need for Europe to invest more in defence and take on greater responsibility for regional security.
Wicker and Rogers emphasised that any significant change to the US military presence in Europe must be reviewed and coordinated with Congress and allies. They stressed that even if NATO allies raise defence spending to 5% of GDP, building capabilities to take over conventional deterrence will take time, and prematurely cutting US forces in Europe risks undermining deterrence.
