Two senior U.S. Republican lawmakers have criticized the Pentagon’s decision to cut 5,000 U.S. troops stationed in Germany; they argue the move risks undermining deterrence and could be misinterpreted by Russia.

Concerns Over Deterrence and Strategic Signaling

Senator Roger Wicker and Representative Mike Rogers, who chair the Senate and House armed services committees respectively, stated that rather than being withdrawn, the troops should be moved further east. They emphasized the importance of maintaining a strong U.S. military presence in Europe.

Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell explained that the decision followed a thorough review and considered “theater requirements and conditions on the ground.” On Saturday, President Donald Trump hinted at potential further cuts, though he provided no details. The U.S. currently has more than 36,000 active-duty troops in Germany.

Boris Pistorius, a German official, stressed the value of the American military presence in Europe, particularly in Germany, for both U.S. and German interests; NATO has said it is seeking clarification from Washington on the decision.

Strategic Disagreements and Political Tensions

In a joint statement. Wicker and Rogers expressed concern over the withdrawal of a U.S. brigade from Germany. They warned that reducing the forward presence before European allies increase their defense spending could weaken deterrence and send the wrong signal to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“Rather than withdrawing forces from the continent altogether, it is in America’s interest to maintain a strong deterrent in Europe by moving these 5,000 U.S. forces to the east,” the statement said.

Adam Smith, a senior Democrat on the House armed services committee, criticized the decision as being “not grounded in any coherent U.S. national security policy, strategy, or even analysis,” but instead driven by the “hurt feelings of a president who is seeking political vengeance.”

Republican Representative Clay Higgins. However, supported the move and mocked what he called time-wasting in the Senate, but “Pulling 5K American troops from the arrogant Germans. Maybe we should send them the Senate,” he said on X; “Better match, and western Europe would be so well protected by the League of the Royal Filibuster.”

Broader Implications for NATO and U.S. Strategy

Trump’s comments on troop cuts come after he criticized German Chancellor Friedrich Merz for saying the U.S. had been “humiliated” by Iranian negotiators in the ongoing war. The U.S. military presence in Germany is its largest in Europe, compared to about 12,000 in Italy and 10,000 in the UK.

When asked about the troop withdrawals. Trump said, “We’re going to cut way down, and we’re cutting a lot further than 5,000.” He has also suggested pulling U.S. troops from Italy and Spain. Last year, Washington decided to reduce its troop presence in Romania as part of Trump’s strategy to shift U.S. military focus toward the Indo-Pacific region.

Concerns are growing within the 32-member NATO alliance about the potential weakening of the organization due to the latest U.S. decision. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned on Saturday that the greatest threat to the transatlantic community is not external enemies but the disintegration of the alliance. “We must all do what it takes to reverse this disastrous trend,” he added.

Trump has previously accused Germany of being “delinquent” for not meeting NATO’s target of spending 2% of its GDP on defense. However, under the governments of former Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Merz, Germany is projected to spend €105.8 billion on defense in 2027. Overall, Germany’s defense expenditure is expected to reach 3.1% of GDP, including aid to Ukraine.

NATO spokesperson Allison Hart said in a post on X that the alliance is working with the U.S. to understand the troop withdrawal details. She noted the decision “exposes the need for Europe to continue to invest more in defense and take on a greater share of the responsibility for our shared security.”

“We’re already seeing progress since allies agreed to invest 5% of GDP at the NATO summit in The Hague last year,” she added.