YEREVAN, Armenia — European leaders declared Monday that President Donald Trump’s decision to pull thousands of U.S. troops from Germany is a wake-up call for the continent to assume greater responsibility for its own security within NATO, even as many sought to downplay the immediate impact of the drawdown. The Pentagon announced last week it would withdraw approximately 5,000 personnel, and Trump told reporters on Saturday he was considering “cutting a lot further.”
The move blindsided the 32-nation alliance, which is already grappling with the strain of the Iran war and years of U.S. demands that European allies shoulder more of the defense burden. Trump gave no official reason, but his announcement coincided with an escalating feud with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who recently claimed the U.S. had been “humiliated” by Iran in diplomatic talks. Trump has also expressed anger over European allies’ reluctance to join the Iran conflict.
At the European Political Community summit in Yerevan, leaders worked to frame the troop reduction as a manageable development that could accelerate long-overdue European defense integration. “I do not see those figures as dramatic, but I think they should be handled in a harmonious way inside the framework of NATO,” said Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, meanwhile, said plainly: “there needs to be a stronger European element in NATO, I have no doubt about that.”
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas acknowledged that Trump’s timing was a surprise, though she noted talk of a U.S. troop pullback had circulated for some time. Asked whether she believed Trump was punishing Merz, Kallas replied, “I don’t see into the head of President Trump, so he has to explain it himself.” Merz did not attend the summit.
Germany’s defense minister, Boris Pistorius, noted that Berlin had yet to receive official confirmation on the timing and scale of the withdrawal, but he insisted the move “would not put into question NATO’s deterrence capability.”
European nations and Canada have ramped up defense spending and recruitment over the past year after Trump took office vowing to make allies bear more of the burden. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, who has previously championed Trump’s leadership within the alliance, acknowledged U.S. “disappointment” over the lack of European help in Iran. France and the U.K. have granted U.S. forces limited use of their bases, while Spain has outright denied use of its airspace. “I would say the Europeans have heard the message,” Rutte said.
But European leaders stopped well short of offering deeper involvement. French President Emmanuel Macron said Europe would welcome a U.S.-led operation to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a key energy chokepoint held by Iran, but added firmly, “Europeans are not ready to get involved in any operation that does not seem clear.” NATO officials continue to work with Washington to understand the full scope of its plans, according to alliance spokesperson Allison Hart.