U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has mandated the withdrawal of approximately 5,000 American soldiers from Germany. According to the Pentagon, this departure is expected to be completed within the next six to twelve months. The decision follows a thorough review of the U.S. troop presence across Europe, taking into account the operational requirements and local conditions in various deployment areas.
Currently, Germany hosts more than 35,000 U.S. service members, a number higher than in any other European state. Overall, the United States maintains roughly 20 military facilities here, including the U.S. European Command in Stuttgart and the Ramstein Air Base in Rhineland-Palatinate. These locations are considered vital for the global missions of U.S. armed forces.
This move recalls earlier rhetoric from former President Donald Trump, who previously threatened troop withdrawals from Germany. These threats reportedly stemmed from dissatisfaction with the criticism leveled by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) regarding U.S. policy involvement in the Iran conflict. Trump sharply criticized Merz and urged him to focus more intensively on the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. In addition to Germany, Trump had also threatened similar troop withdrawals from Spain and Italy.
