Washington: US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the withdrawal of about 5,000 troops from Germany within the next year, the Pentagon said on Friday, in the latest breakdown in transatlantic ties over the Middle East war.
The move came after US President Donald Trump announced that tariffs on cars and trucks from the European Union would rise to 25 percent next week, accusing the bloc of not complying with a trade deal signed last summer.
Trump has repeated criticism of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who said on Monday that Iran was “humiliating” Washington at the negotiating table. Trump said Merz “thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about!”
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On Wednesday, the US leader said Washington was “studying and reviewing the possible reduction” of US troops in Germany and that he would decide within a “short period of time”.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement Friday that “We expect the withdrawal to be completed over the next six to twelve months.”
“This decision follows a thorough review of the Department’s force posture in Europe and is in recognition of the requirements and conditions of the theater in the field,” Parnell added.
During his two terms in office, Trump has made a series of threats to reduce the number of US troops in Germany and other European allies, saying he wants Europe to take more responsibility for its own defense rather than depending on Washington.
Trump on Friday accused German automakers such as Mercedes-Benz and BMW of ripping off Americans, saying Germany and “other European nations have not lived up to our trade agreement.”
Germany is likely to be hit hard by a sharp auto tariff, as it accounts for a significant share of EU auto exports.
“Why shouldn’t I?”
Trump now appears determined to punish allies who have failed to support the war or contribute to a peacekeeping force in the Strait of Hormuz, which Tehran’s forces have effectively sealed off.
On Thursday, Trump said he may withdraw US troops from Italy and Spain because of their opposition to the war, telling reporters in the Oval Office: “Italy has not helped us at all and Spain has been terrible, absolutely terrible.”
“Yeah, maybe, maybe I will. Why shouldn’t I?” Trump said.
As of December 31, 2025, there were 12,662 US troops on active duty in Italy and 3,814 in Spain. In Germany there were 36,436.
Speaking during a visit to Morocco, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said on Thursday that Germany was “prepared” for a reduction in US troops and was “discussing it closely and in a spirit of confidence in all NATO bodies”.
While he said he was “calm” about the idea of fewer US troops in Germany, Wadephul said large US bases in Germany were “absolutely out of the question”.
He said, for example, that Ramstein Air Base had “an irreplaceable function for the United States and for us.”
Support of Ukraine
The EU said on Thursday that the deployment of US troops in Europe was in Washington’s interest and that the United States was “a vital partner in contributing to Europe’s security and defence”.
Meanwhile, Trump took aim at Merzi again, telling him to focus on ending the war in Ukraine instead of “interfering” in Iran.
European powers have been on alert since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, and a series of drone incursions in the past year — as well as U.S. pledges to pull back from defending the continent — have pushed the issue to the top of the agenda.
Merz has made national security a priority, announcing unprecedented investments in a military that has been underfunded and underequipped for decades.
He has also reaffirmed support for Ukraine, for which Germany has been the second largest individual supplier of aid after the US.
