Trump threatens more cuts after US announced withdrawal of 5,000 troops from Germany
By Natasha Bertrand, Kit Maher, CNN
(CNN) — The Pentagon said on Friday the US will withdraw roughly 5,000 troops from Germany over the next year, a move President Donald Trump said is just the beginning.
The decision, which came after Trump lashed out the German chancellor over his criticism of the US war with Iran, would still leave more than 30,000 US troops in the country.
“The Secretary of War has ordered the withdrawal of approximately 5,000 troops from Germany,” chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement. “This decision follows a thorough review of the Department’s force posture in Europe and is in recognition of theater requirements and conditions on the ground. We expect the withdrawal to be completed over the next six to twelve months.”
Trump said Saturday the US will be “cutting a lot further” than the initial 5,000 troops.
Friction between European leaders and the Trump administration has intensified due to the war with Iran, which the US launched without notifying most NATO allies. The president has also lashed out at allies for what he sees as insufficient help in the conflict, threatening to cut troop levels in Italy and Spain as well.
Hours before Trump’s comments Saturday, Republican chairmen of the House and Senate Armed Services committees released a statement saying they are “very concerned” by the decision to withdraw 5,000 troops.
Sen. Roger Wicker and Rep. Mike Rogers urged the Pentagon to keep US troops present in Europe by moving them to the east, where allies “have made substantial investments to host U.S. troops … while strengthening NATO’s front line to help deter a far more costly conflict from ever beginning.”
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius played down the Pentagon’s Friday announcement, calling it “foreseeable,” and adding it showed the need for Europe to take greater responsibility for its own security.
Germany was “on the right track,” in this respect, he said.
“I mean, they haven’t been exactly on board,” he said this week when asked about the possibility. “Yeah, probably will,” he added, “Why shouldn’t I? Italy has not been of any help. Spain has been horrible. Absolutely.”
Germany, like some other European countries, has offered limited military support to the US, most notably allowing the use of its military infrastructure, such as air bases, for operations related to the conflict — though it has not permitted these to be used as staging grounds for direct offensive strikes.
Trump foreshadowed the cuts earlier this week after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the US was being “humiliated” by Iran.
Merz on Monday accused US officials of entering a war without a clear strategy, saying the “whole affair is ill-considered to say the least.”
“The Iranians are obviously very skilled at negotiating, or rather, very skillful at not negotiating, letting the Americans travel to Islamabad and then leave again without any result,” Merz said. “An entire nation is being humiliated by the Iranian leadership, especially by these so-called Revolutionary Guards. And so I hope that this ends as quickly as possible.”
Trump on Tuesday said Merz “doesn’t know what he’s talking about” on Iran and the following day announced the US was “studying and reviewing” a possible troop reduction.
Ahead of Trump’s threat to pull some troops from Germany, Merz had said his relationship with the American president remained “good.”
Trump previously threatened to reduce troop numbers in the country in 2020, during his first tenure in office and while Angela Merkel held the German chancellorship.
Germany is home to Ramstein Air Base, which is the headquarters for US Air Forces in Europe — including the unit that does “airlift, airdrop and aeromedical evacuation operations” — and a North Atlantic Treaty Organization installation, according to its website.
As of December 2025, there were 36,436 active-duty US military personnel permanently stationed in Germany, according to data from the US Defense Manpower Data Center.
Merz has also pledged further German assistance under the condition the conflict moves to a post-war phase, which could include participating in a potential international stabilization mission.
To that effect, Berlin recently announced a naval minesweeper will be deployed to the Mediterranean Sea in preparation for efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, once a lasting end to hostilities is reached. These actions, however, have failed to satisfy Trump.
This story has been updated with additional developments.
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CNN’s Sophie Tanno, Sebastian Shukla and Aleena Fayaz contributed to this report.
