ZW News HD
Related Articles
This action comes after a growing argument between Donald Trump and Friedrich Merz about a possible war with Iran.
BY Mahnoor | 02-May-2026
On March 3, 2026, in Washington, DC, US President Donald Trump met German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in the Oval Office at the White House. — Reuters.
- Trump and German politician Merz disagree about a possible war with Iran.
- A Pentagon official says the US president is responding to Merz’s comments.
- About 35,000 American soldiers are based in Germany.
The U.S. will remove 5,000 soldiers from Germany, a NATO ally, the Pentagon said Friday. This happens as President Trump and Europe disagree more about the Iran war.
Trump threatened to reduce troops this week after arguing with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Merz said on Monday that Iran was embarrassing the US in talks to end the two-month war, and he didn’t understand Washington’s plan to withdraw.
A high-ranking official at the Pentagon, who did not want to be named, said that recent statements from Germany were ‘not right and not helpful.’
The official said the president is correctly responding to these unhelpful comments.
The Pentagon stated the pullout should take 6-12 months. Germany hosts about 35,000 active US troops, the most in Europe.
An official stated the troop reduction would return US forces in Europe to levels similar to before 2022, prior to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that caused then-President Joe Biden to increase troop presence.
The official also framed the decision as part of the Trump administration’s effort to have Europe handle its own security. But it’s another strong reminder that Trump is willing to punish allies he thinks are disloyal.
Reuters reported last week about an internal Pentagon email. It showed possible ways to punish NATO allies who Washington thinks didn’t support US actions in a war with Iran. Options included removing Spain from NATO and rethinking US support for Britain’s claim to the Falkland Islands.
conflicts with Europeans
It’s not clear if more troops will be pulled out of Europe. On Thursday, Trump answered “probably” when asked if he might withdraw US troops from Italy and Spain.
Last month, he threatened a total US trade ban on Spain. Spain’s Socialist leaders said they wouldn’t let their bases or airspace be used to attack Iran. The US has two key military bases in Spain: Rota Naval Station and Morón Air Base.
Trump argued with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni about the Iran war and his negative comments about Pope Leo. In April, Trump said Meloni, who used to support him a lot, wasn’t brave enough and had disappointed Washington.
Trump also criticized NATO countries for not sending their ships to help open the Strait of Hormuz. This waterway, crucial for global oil shipping, has been mostly closed during the conflict with Iran, causing market problems and major disruptions to energy supplies.
A top Pentagon official said the president is not happy with our allies’ words and lack of help for US operations that help them.
Germany’s connections are weakening
Merz stated that Germans and Europeans weren’t asked before the US and Israel began attacking Iran on February 28. He also said he told Trump directly about his doubts about the conflict later.
Trump always wanted fewer US soldiers in Germany. He tried to cut about 12,000 troops when he was almost done with his first term, but it didn’t happen. Then Trump lost the election, and Biden stopped the plan.
Trump’s announcement on Wednesday about reconsidering the number of US troops in Germany caught German military officials off guard, according to Reuters. The officials mentioned having productive meetings at the Pentagon earlier that day.
They say Germany has helped the U.S. in the Iran war more than other countries. This includes letting the U.S. use its bases, allowing planes to fly over Germany, and providing a large military hospital in Landstuhl.
This week, Germany set its 2027 budget goals, promising to spend much more on defense.
Imran Bayoumi, previously with the Pentagon, stated that even though the troop cuts in Germany weren’t huge, they still could create more division between the U.S. and Europe.
“European leaders will probably try harder to increase their defense budgets because they see Washington as less dependable and trustworthy,” said Bayoumi, who now works at the Atlantic Council.
Because Trump decided to pull troops out, a group of soldiers in Germany will be removed. Also, a special artillery group that Biden planned to send to Germany later this year will no longer be sent, according to an official.
