Nato is seeking to 'understand the details' of a US decision to withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany, a redeployment ordered by Donald Trump amid a feud with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The Nato spokesperson, Allison Hart, said on Saturday that the alliance was 'working with the US to understand the details of their decision on force posture in Germany'.
The German government sought to play down the severity of Trump's move, describing it as 'anticipated', and a reminder of Europe's need to invest in its own defence. A German defence ministry spokesperson said the planned withdrawal demonstrated 'we must strengthen the European pillar within Nato'. The US withdrawal, which the Pentagon said would take place over the next six to 12 months, comes after criticism from Merz over Trump's war with Iran.
On Saturday, Trump told reporters in Florida: 'We're going to cut way down, and we're cutting a lot further than 5,000.' US officials have suggested an army brigade combat team already deployed in Germany would be withdrawn and the planned deployment of a long-range artillery battalion to the country would be cancelled. According to the US Defense Manpower Data Center, there were 68,000 active-duty military personnel assigned permanently in bases in Europe.
Further withdrawals could trigger a conflict with the US Congress, which last year stipulated that troop strength in Europe must not fall below 76,000. European capitals are reportedly more worried about the postponement of previously agreed arms sales from the US to European allies. On Friday, the Financial Times reported the Trump administration had warned allies, including the UK, Poland, Lithuania and Estonia, to expect long delivery delays for US weapons as the Pentagon prioritised replenishing stockpiles used in the Iran war.
