After German Chancellor’s Critique, Trump Moves to Pull 5,000 U.S. Troops from Germany

The United States will withdraw about 5,000 soldiers from Germany, the Pentagon announced today (*Shabbat*), against the backdrop of tensions between President Donald Trump and NATO member states.

According to American media, War Secretary Pete Hegseth approved the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Germany. The troops will leave German soil in a special operation that will last about six months. In addition, an air-defense battalion that was scheduled to be deployed in Germany later this year will not be sent. It should be noted that about 35,000 American troops are currently stationed throughout Germany.

In the United States, it was reported that the American president was angered by recent statements made by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Among other things, he claimed that "the Iranian leadership and the Revolutionary Guards are humiliating the American administration by making senior officials travel to far-flung places (like Pakistan) for negotiations, and then sending them back empty-handed." The chancellor later declared that "it is not clear to him what Trump's 'exit strategy' is from the confrontation with Iran." He added, with sarcasm, that "the Iranians are very skilled at not negotiating."

Reuters reported that a senior Pentagon official said the statements from Germany were "inappropriate and unhelpful," adding that the president "is rightly responding to those remarks."

As a reminder, in recent weeks Trump expressed anger at NATO countries, which he said did not provide sufficient support for American actions regarding Iran, including not sending naval forces to open the Strait of Hormuz. A Pentagon official summed up: "The president has made his frustration with the allies' rhetoric and their failure to provide support for actions that also serve them very clear."