US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the withdrawal of around 5,000 American troops stationed in Germany, the Pentagon said on Friday; the drawdown is to be completed over the next six to 12 months, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement. The 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, according to the Pentagon.

Tensions between Trump and Merz

The announcement came a day after US President Donald Trump threatened to cut US troop numbers in Germany and criticized German Chancellor Friedrich Merz — Merz had said the US was being “humiliated” by Iran. Trump responded by calling Merz “totally ineffective” and saying he “doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”

On Friday. Trump also announced an increase in tariffs on cars and trucks from the European Union, a move that will hit Germany hardest. A senior Pentagon official told Reuters that recent German rhetoric had been “inappropriate and unhelpful.” The official added that “the president is rightly reacting to these counterproductive remarks.”

Current US troop presence in Germany

The US currently has more forces in Germany than anywhere else in Europe, dating from the end of World War II and the start of the Cold War. As of December 2025. More than 36,000 active service members were stationed in Germany, according to the US Defense Manpower Data Center; this includes personnel at Ramstein in southwestern Germany, regarded as the US’ largest overseas air force base.

According to AtlasNews, the current number of US troops in Germany is 36,400, and after the drawdown, around 31,000 will remain. This decision is part of a broader shift in US military posture in Europe. In 2020, Trump had announced the withdrawal of 12,000 troops from Germany, reducing the total to 24,000. That plan was abandoned when Joe Biden took office. However, following the Russia-Ukraine war, troop numbers were maintained.

Germany’s military buildup

Germany has been preparing for a reduction in US troop presence. The country has been rearming in response to the changing geopolitical field. After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, then-Chancellor Olaf Scholz declared it a “Zeitenwende”—a turning point. Since then, Germany has pursued a major shift in its national security strategy, moving from an economic powerhouse to a more militarily capable nation.

Trump’s decision to reduce troop levels in Germany is seen as a strategic move to address what he perceives as Germany’s unhelpful rhetoric and to push for greater European self-reliance. The reduction also reflects broader US concerns about European defense spending and the need to reallocate resources to other theaters.