Trump will withdraw 5,000 American soldiers from Germany and shakes Europe

BerlinGerman Chancellor Friedrich Merz has personally experienced that disagreeing with the President of the United States, Donald Trump, or criticizing his decisions can have consequences. The hyperactive Trump has announced that he will withdraw 5,000 soldiers from his military bases in Germany, a NATO ally country, as announced by the Pentagon. Washington had already threatened to withdraw troops after Merz criticized the war of the United States and Israel against Iran, which has infuriated the Republican, who has since focused his recurring contempt for European allies on Berlin, although also on Madrid and Rome.

Trump had already threatened in his first term to withdraw 12,000 soldiers from GermanyTrump had already threatened in his first term to withdraw 12,000 soldiers from Germany, in a dispute with then-Chancellor Angela Merkel over her low level of military spending. The Republican did not have time to fulfill the threat because Democrat Joe Biden won the election and ultimately did not withdraw the troops from Germany.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius downplayed the announcement of the partial troop withdrawal, calling it "predictable." According to the minister, the Pentagon's announcement makes it clear that Europe must assume more responsibility for its own security. "It is clear that NATO must be more European to remain transatlantic. Europeans must assume greater responsibility in security," he added.

Germany has already begun to take steps in this direction and "is on the right track," according to Pistorius. Merz has set out to transform the German army into the strongest conventional force in Europe, for deterrent purposes and to be able to face potential threats, especially from Russia. For the same reason, Germany is also massively rearming. However, Pistorius considered that "the presence of American soldiers in Europe, and especially in Germany, is in our interest and in the interest of the United States." "We work closely with the Americans, in Ramstein, in Grafenwöhr, in Frankfurt, and elsewhere, for peace and security in Europe, for Ukraine, and for joint deterrence," explained the minister.

Merz's change of mind

Trump had threatened earlier this week with a reduction of troops in Germany after an exchange of statements with Merz. The chancellor, despite being considered a convinced Atlanticist, has lately been very critical of the United States and Israel's war against Iran. Merz, in power since May 2025, said he did not see what exit strategy Washington was following in this conflict and assured that the Iranians were “humiliating” the Americans in the negotiations to end the war. These statements did not please Trump at all, who, in turn, accused Merz of wanting Iran to have nuclear weapons, something the chancellor has never said. Merz has made it clear on repeated occasions that Iran must never possess the atomic bomb.

For the moment, it is not known if the departure of more American troops from Europe will occur, after Trump also threatened this week to withdraw soldiers from its bases in Spain and Italy due to its stance in the war with Iran.

According to Pentagon data, the United States had about 36,400 soldiers in Germany at the end of 2025. Even if the Pentagon withdraws 5,000 soldiers from this country, there would remain more than 30,000 uniformed personnel stationed on German soil. But it is evident that the announcement of the partial withdrawal of troops is highly symbolic and represents a sign of the strong deterioration of German-American relations since Merz arrived at the chancellery a year ago.

Trump appears to have blacklisted Merz among critical European leaders, headed by Spanish President Pedro Sánchez, for his “No to war”. Merz, on the other hand, considered this very week that the relationship with Trump remains intact, despite the attacks. “In any case, from my point of view, the personal relationship between the US President and I remains good,” Merz said on Wednesday, when Trump had only threatened to withdraw troops. “Simply, from the beginning I have had doubts about what was initiated there with the Iran war, and that is why I have expressed it,” added the conservative chancellor, who governs in coalition with the social democrats.

The Pentagon has not yet specified which bases in Germany will be affected by the troop reduction. Nor has it clarified whether the soldiers will return to the United States or if they will be sent to other European countries or to other US bases around the world.

“The biggest threat to the transatlantic community is not its external enemies, but the ongoing disintegration of our alliance. We must all do what is necessary to reverse this disastrous trend,” reacted the Polish Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, on Saturday, visibly concerned by the announcement.

Germany, the great European base

Germany is the country with the largest presence of American military personnel in Europe, and it is the second largest military base of the United States in the world, surpassed only by Japan. The American army has several bases in the country, a legacy of the Cold War, and today the United States continues to have a strong presence in the country protecting Europe against possible Russian aggression.

Ramstein Air Base, the largest, serves as the headquarters for the United States Air Forces in Europe and is a key logistical hub for the Middle East and Africa. In Landstuhl is located the largest American military hospital abroad, where wounded soldiers are treated without having to be transferred to the United States. Stuttgart is home to the headquarters of the European Command (EUCOM) and the African Command (AFRICOM). Bavaria hosts the largest training area for American troops outside the United States.

The withdrawal of 5,000 soldiers from bases in Germany does not appear to have immediate consequences for the country's security, but it could have regional repercussions. The president of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, Alexander Schweitzer, expressed concern about the announcement. "American bases in Rhineland-Palatinate have great global strategic value for the U.S. and have a high level of equipment and training," he recalled. American bases constitute an important economic factor for the federal states where they are located, both in terms of employment and leases and contracts for local companies. "The economic impact of the American military presence can be quantified at more than 2 billion dollars annually," according to Ralf Hechler, mayor of the municipality of Ramstein.