Politics Foreign Affairs Culture Fellows Program

Trump to Withdraw 5,000 Troops From Germany

State of the Union: The change in force posture comes amid U.S.–German tensions over the Iran War.
Federal Chancellor Merz at Local Journalism Day
(Klaus-Dietmar Gabbert/picture alliance via Getty Images)
Loading the Elevenlabs Text to Speech AudioNative Player...

The Department of Defense announced Friday that it was withdrawing 5,000 troops from Germany in the next six to 12 months.

“This decision follows a thorough review of the department’s force posture in Europe and is in recognition of theater requirements and conditions on the ground,” said the Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell in a statement.

Roughly 30,000 U.S. troops will remain in Germany, leaving the country host to the largest American force overseas besides Japan.

In a Wednesday social media post, President Donald Trump suggested that the administration was considering such a move. The decision follows recent sparring between Trump and Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz over the conduct of the Iran War.

The U.S. completely withdrew its troops from Iraq in January and from Syria in April.

×

Donate to The American Conservative Today

This is not a paywall!

Your support helps us continue our mission of providing thoughtful, independent journalism. With your contribution, we can maintain our commitment to principled reporting on the issues that matter most.

Donate Today:

Donate to The American Conservative Today