Germany focuses on shared interests after US announces troop drawdown
Germany’s defence minister on Saturday appeared to take in stride a Pentagon announcement that the United States plans to pull some 5,000 troops out of Germany, saying a drawdown was expected and emphasising the mutual benefit of the longstanding US deployment in Europe.
Boris Pistorius said Europe recognised and was acting on the necessity of doing more to ensure its own security within the US-led NATO military alliance that counts Germany as a key member, and said it is doing so. He suggested America, too, gains from its military deployment in the continent.
“The presence of American soldiers in Europe, and especially in Germany, is in our interest and in the interest of the US,” Pistorius told the German news agency dpa.
Pistorius called the move “foreseeable,” apparently alluding to President Donald Trump’s recent threat of a drawdown in Germany.
Still, the withdrawals planned over the next six to 12 months mark a new deterioration in US relations with Germany, and European allies more broadly: Trump has expressed exasperation over NATO allies’ unwillingness to join his campaign with Israel against Iran, and has lashed out at leaders like German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Merz last week criticised the war in Iran, saying the US is being “humiliated” by the Iranian leadership and calling out Washington’s lack of strategy.
Trump, meanwhile, accused the EU of not complying with its US trade deal and announced plans to increase tariffs next week on cars and trucks produced in the bloc to 25%, a move that would be particularly damaging to Germany, a major automobile manufacturer.
At least one EU lawmaker called the tariff hike “unacceptable” and accused Trump of breaking yet another US commitment on trade. A pullout of 5,000 soldiers from Germany would amount to about one-seventh of the 36,000 American service members stationed in the country: A sizable, but not critical, drawdown. The Pentagon offered few details about which troops or operations would be affected.
More broadly, around 80,000-100,000 US personnel are usually stationed in Europe — depending on operations, exercises and troop rotations.
NATO allies like Germany have expected for over a year that these troops would be the first to leave. Pistorius, in his comments to dpa, said, “We Europeans must take on more responsibility for our security,” while stressing recent efforts by Germany to boost its armed forces, accelerate procurement and develop infrastructure.
