Germany says the planned withdrawal of thousands of American troops was expected, while NATO seeks urgent clarification from Washington….reports London Daily Newsdesk
Germany’s defence minister has said the United States’ decision to withdraw 5,000 troops from the country was “foreseeable”, while NATO confirmed that it is seeking clarification from Washington over the planned military reduction.
Speaking to German news agency DPA, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said the continued presence of American troops in Europe remained important for both sides despite the proposed cuts.
“The presence of American soldiers in Europe, and particularly in Germany, is in our interest and in the interest of the US,” Pistorius said.
NATO spokeswoman Allison Hart said the military alliance was attempting to understand the details surrounding Washington’s decision.
“We are working with the US to understand the details of their decision,” she said.
The comments came after US President Donald Trump suggested that troop reductions in Europe could go far beyond the initial figure of 5,000 personnel.
Asked on Saturday night about the withdrawal plans, Trump said: “We’re going to cut way down, and we’re cutting a lot further than 5,000.” However, he did not provide additional information about the scale or timing of the move.
The announcement has added to growing tensions between Washington and several European allies following criticism directed at German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over his remarks on the US role in the conflict involving Iran.
According to reports cited by the BBC, a US official described Merz’s comments on the conflict as “inappropriate and unhelpful”.
Earlier this week, Merz criticised what he described as the United States’ “planless” military involvement in Iran, saying Washington was “being humiliated by the Iranian leadership”.
Trump responded sharply to the remarks, saying the German Chancellor “doesn’t know what he’s talking about” and accusing him of failing to understand the threat posed by Iran’s nuclear ambitions, according to Xinhua News Agency.
The US President also signalled that further reductions in American troop deployments across Europe were under consideration.
Writing on social media on Wednesday, Trump said Washington was considering reducing troop levels in Germany and that a final decision would be made “over the next short period of time”.
A day later, he indicated that American military deployments in other European countries, including Spain and Italy, could also be scaled back.
“Why shouldn’t I? Italy has not been of any help. Spain has been horrible. Absolutely,” Trump said, again criticising European allies for what he described as insufficient support during the US Israeli conflict with Iran.
Trump has repeatedly accused European governments of failing to contribute enough to support Washington’s strategic and military objectives in the Middle East.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said on Thursday that Berlin was prepared for the possibility of a reduction in US troop numbers stationed in the country.
Germany hosts one of the largest concentrations of American military personnel outside the United States. According to US Department of Defense data, more than 36,000 active duty American troops were stationed across Germany at the end of last year, alongside nearly 1,500 reservists and around 11,500 civilian personnel.
The country also hosts key American military facilities, including the headquarters of US European Command and US Africa Command. Ramstein Air Base remains one of Washington’s most important military hubs for operations across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
