US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the withdrawal of approximately 5,000 US soldiers from Germany. According to the Pentagon, the full withdrawal is expected to be completed within the next six to twelve months. This decision follows a thorough reassessment of the overall US troop presence in Europe, taking into account the operational demands and on-site conditions in various theaters.
Germany currently hosts more than 35,000 US service members, placing it with a higher density of troops than any other European country. The US maintains about 20 major military facilities within Germany, including the US European Command in Stuttgart and the Ramstein Air Base in Rhineland-Palatinate. These locations are critical staging points for global deployments of US forces.
This directive is reminiscent of earlier threats made by former US President Donald Trump. Trump had previously hinted at a troop withdrawal from Germany, reportedly in reaction to criticism of US policy in the Iran-Iraq war leveled by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU). Trump strongly criticized Chancellor Merz, urging him instead to focus his attention on the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. In addition to Germany, Trump had also threatened withdrawals of US troops from Spain and Italy.