US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the withdrawal of nearly 5,000 troops from Germany within the next year, the Pentagon said on Friday.
The decision 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 European bloc of not respecting a trade deal signed last summer.
Following the Pentagon's announcement, Germany's Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said on May 2 that the withdrawal of US troops from his country was expected, adding that Europe needed to do more to provide security for itself.
"That American troops are withdrawing from Europe and also from Germany was something that was expected. We Europeans must take more responsibility for our security," he said in a statement to AFP.
Meanwhile, NATO said on Saturday that it is "working" with the US to understand Washington's decision to reduce the number of troops in Germany.
“This shift highlights the need for Europe to continue to invest more in defense and take more responsibility for our shared security, we are already seeing progress since Allies agreed to invest 5 percent of GDP. We remain confident in our ability to provide greater deterrence and protection as this shift toward a stronger Europe and a stronger NATO continues,” NATO spokeswoman Allison Hart wrote in X.
US President Donald Trump has repeated his criticism of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who on Monday said Iran was "humiliating" Washington at the negotiating table. Trump said Merz "thinks it's okay for Iran to have nuclear weapons. He doesn't know what he's talking about!"
On Wednesday, the US leader said that Washington is "studying and considering the possibility of reducing" US troops in Germany and that a decision on the matter will be made "within a short period of time".
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement on 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 deployment of forces in Europe and is based on operational theater requirements and conditions on the ground," Parnell added.
During his two presidential terms, Trump has declared that he will reduce the number of US troops in Germany and other European countries, saying he wants Europe to take more responsibility for its own defense, rather than depending on Washington.
Trump on Friday accused German carmakers, such as Mercedes-Benz and BMW, of taking advantage of Americans, saying that Germany and "other European countries have not kept our trade deal."
Germany is likely to be hit hard by a high tariff on vehicles, as it accounts for a significant share of EU car exports.
On Thursday, Trump said he may withdraw US troops from Italy and Spain because of their opposition to the war on Iran, telling reporters in the Oval Office: "Italy has not helped us and Spain has been terrible."
"Yes, I most likely will. Why not do that," Trump said.
As of December 31, 2025, there were 12,662 active-duty US troops in Italy and 3,814 in Spain. In Germany, the number was 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, adding that "we are discussing it closely and in a spirit of trust in all NATO bodies."
While saying he was "calm" about the idea of having fewer US troops in Germany, Wadephul stressed that large US bases in Germany "are not at all in question."
He said, for example, that Ramstein Air Base has "an irreplaceable function for both the United States and us."
*Note: US President Donald Trump signed an executive order in September 2025, changing the name of the Department of Defense to the Department of War, as a second name.
