US to withdraw troops from Germany, blaming Europe for failing to lead NATO

WASHINGTON, May 2 (TASS) – The Pentagon has confirmed plans to withdraw 5,000 U.S. troops from Germany, citing as the main reason the reluctance of European allies to assume a leadership role within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), according to The Washington Post, which quoted a senior U.S. Defense Department official.

The official criticized German Chancellor Friedrich Merz for calling the U.S. military campaign against Iran “inappropriate and futile.” According to the official, the reduction of forces in Germany aligns with the U.S. administration’s strategic shift away from Europe toward the Western Hemisphere and the Indo-Pacific region.

“We have urged them to take a practical, business-like approach to building a European-led NATO,” the official said. “They did not follow that advice, and this is the result.”

The announcement on Friday will affect an armored combat brigade already deployed in Germany, a long-range fires battalion scheduled to arrive later this year, and possibly additional troops, the senior Pentagon official said.

Earlier, U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs Sean Parnell said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had ordered the withdrawal of 5,000 U.S. troops from Germany within the next 6 to 12 months.

U.S. President Donald Trump had previously stated that Washington was considering reducing its forces in Germany and could also cut troops in Italy and Spain. The U.S. leader did not specify the reasons but made the remarks after Chancellor Merz criticized the U.S. military campaign in Iran, arguing it lacked a clear strategy. On Tuesday, Trump accused Merz of suggesting that Iran possessing nuclear weapons was acceptable.