The Pentagon said Friday that the United States will withdraw approximately 5,000 troops from Germany over the next year.
The move, which comes after President Donald Trump lashed out at the German chancellor for her 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,” Pentagon chief spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement. “This decision follows a comprehensive review of the Department’s force posture in Europe and is a recognition of theater requirements and conditions on the ground. We expect the drawdown to be completed in the next six to twelve months.”
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius downplayed the move, calling it “foreseeable” and adding that it demonstrated the need for Europe to take greater responsibility for its own security.
Germany is “on the right path” in this regard, he said.
Frictions between European leaders and the Trump administration have intensified over the war with Iran, which the United States launched without notifying most NATO allies. The president also criticized his allies for what he sees as insufficient aid in the conflict, and threatened to reduce troop levels in Italy and Spain as well on Thursday.
“I mean, they haven’t exactly agreed,” he responded when asked about the possibility. “Yes, I probably will,” he added, “Why shouldn’t I? Italy hasn’t been any help. Spain has been horrible. Absolutely.”
Germany, like other European countries, has offered limited military support to the United States, in particular allowing the use of its military infrastructure, such as air bases, for operations related to the conflict, although it has not allowed them to be used as a staging ground for direct offensive attacks.
Trump foreshadowed the cuts earlier this week after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the United States was being “humiliated” by Iran.
During his visit to a school in central Germany on Monday, Merz accused US officials of entering a war without a clear strategy, saying that “the whole matter is ill-considered, to say the least.”
“The Iranians are obviously very skilled at negotiating, or rather, very skilled at not negotiating, letting the Americans travel to Islamabad and then leave again without any results,” Merz said. “An entire nation is being humiliated by the Iranian leaders, especially by these so-called Revolutionary Guards. And that’s why I hope this ends as quickly as possible.”
Trump said Tuesday that Merz “doesn’t know what he’s talking about” about Iran and the next day announced that the United States was “studying and reviewing” a possible troop reduction.
Before Trump’s threat to withdraw some troops from Germany, Merz had said his relationship with the US president remained “good.”
Trump previously threatened to reduce the number of troops in the country in 2020, during his first term and while Angela Merkel held the German chancellery.
Germany is home to Ramstein Air Base, which is the headquarters of the U.S. Air Forces in Europe, including the unit that conducts “airlift, airdrop and aeromedical evacuation operations,” and a North Atlantic Treaty Organization facility, according to its website.
As of December 2025, there were 36,436 active-duty U.S. military personnel permanently stationed in Germany, according to data from the U.S. Defense Manpower Data Center.
Merz has also promised more German aid on the condition that the conflict moves to a post-war phase, which could include participation in a possible international stabilization mission.
To that end, Berlin recently announced that 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 achieved. These actions, however, have not satisfied Trump.
CNN’s Sophie Tanno, Sebastian Shukla and Aleena Fayaz contributed to this report.