Germany urged European partners to step up after the Pentagon announced plans to withdraw about 5,000 U.S. troops from nearly 40,000 currently stationed in Germany. The drawdown, expected within six to 12 months, will see one brigade leave and a planned long-range fires battalion cancelled. NATO is coordinating with Washington while leaders warn the move could strain alliance cohesion and accelerate calls for stronger European defence capabilities.
U.S. to Pull 5,000 Troops From Germany — Berlin Urges Europe to Strengthen Defences
Soldiers stand next to a razor wire at a media day during the U.S. Army Combined Resolve exercise at the U.S. Army's southern Germany training facilities in Hohenfels, Germany, April 30, 2026. REUTERS/Angelika Warmuth
BERLIN, May 2 (Reuters) - Germany urged its European partners to bolster their own defences after the Pentagon announced plans to reduce the U.S. troop presence in Germany by about 5,000, a move Berlin's defence minister said should prompt Europeans to take greater responsibility for regional security.
Defence Minister Boris Pistorius called the partial drawdown "an incentive for Europeans to shoulder more of their own security burden," while stressing that Germany is expanding its armed forces, accelerating procurement and investing in military infrastructure to meet the challenge.
NATO Working With Washington
The Pentagon said the withdrawal — from what is currently the U.S. military's largest European footprint — is expected to be completed over the next six to 12 months. It did not say which bases would be affected or whether troops would return to the United States or be redeployed elsewhere in Europe or beyond.
Official U.S. figures show 36,436 active-duty service members were stationed in Germany as of December. The Pentagon said the plan will reduce that presence by roughly 5,000 personnel. A NATO spokesperson said the alliance is working with Washington to clarify the details.
Regional Reactions and Concerns
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned the move could weaken NATO cohesion at a time when eastern European members seek robust U.S. support amid the Russia-Ukraine war. "The greatest threat to the transatlantic community are not its external enemies, but the ongoing disintegration of our alliance," Tusk wrote on X.
The announcement came alongside a separate threat from former President Donald Trump to impose a 25% tariff on EU auto imports, a measure that could cost the German economy billions and add tension to transatlantic relations. A German foreign policy official suggested both moves reflect political pressure on Washington.
Operational Impact
The Pentagon said one full U.S. brigade will leave Germany and a planned long-range fires battalion scheduled for deployment later this year has been cancelled. German officials said the cancellation is an unwelcome setback because the capability was intended to bolster deterrence while European long-range systems are developed.
U.S. facilities in Germany — including the Ramstein airbase and the Landstuhl medical centre — have been key hubs for supporting U.S. operations in the Middle East and prior conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. The U.S. military presence in Germany dates to the post-World War Two period and peaked during the Cold War.
What’s next: NATO and Washington will work through the operational details in coming weeks. German political leaders say the decision should accelerate investments in European defence capacity, but analysts note that budgetary and capability gaps mean it will take years for Europe to fully assume the roles long held by U.S. forces.
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