President Donald Trump escalated his break with postwar U.S. security policy on Saturday, saying he would go far beyond the Pentagon’s plan to withdraw 5,000 American troops from Germany — a decision that drew pushback from Republican lawmakers who warned it would embolden Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Pentagon announced the initial drawdown on Friday but offered no specifics on which units would be affected, fueling uncertainty among NATO allies and in Congress.
The U.S. military presence in Europe is a legacy of World War II and the Cold War, currently organized under U.S. European Command. According to December Pentagon figures, the command oversees between 80,000 and 100,000 troops across roughly 50 countries and territories, with Germany hosting the largest contingent at more than 36,000. Italy and the United Kingdom host an additional 12,000 and 10,000 respectively. Germany also houses the headquarters of both U.S. European and Africa Commands, Ramstein Air Base, a major medical center, and an estimated 100 U.S. nuclear bombs, according to a March estimate by the Federation of American Scientists.
Trump has argued that Europe must do more for its own defense. The administration’s National Defense Strategy, released in January, stated that while the United States “is and will remain engaged in Europe, we must — and will — prioritize defending the U.S. Homeland and deterring China.” It noted that Europe’s economic power, though shrinking in relative terms globally, remains significant, and said that Germany’s economy alone “dwarfs that of Russia.” The document also pointed to a recent NATO commitment to raise national defense spending to 5 percent of GDP, a push led by Trump.
The drawdown plan prompted a joint statement from Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi, chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Representative Mike Rogers of Alabama, his House counterpart. They said a premature withdrawal would “send the wrong signal to Vladimir Putin” as Russia continues its war in Ukraine, and argued that any troop reductions should be matched by shifting forces to bases in Eastern Europe. The lawmakers also disclosed that the Pentagon had canceled the planned deployment of one of the Army’s long-range fires battalions to Germany.
General Alexus Grynkewich, who commands both U.S. and NATO forces in Europe, reinforced the strategic value of the current footprint during testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee in March. “It is having capabilities in Europe, munitions in Europe that allow us to help U.S. Africa Command to target terrorists in Africa, or to help U.S. Central Command as they execute Operation Epic Fury,” he said, referring to the Iran war. “The distances are shorter, it’s less expensive and it’s much easier to project power.”
In Germany, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius acknowledged in comments to the German news agency dpa that Europe must take more responsibility for its own security and said the Bundeswehr is growing, military equipment is being procured more quickly, and infrastructure is being developed. Germany has already moved to modernize its long-neglected military, establishing a €100 billion ($117 billion) special fund in 2022 and announcing plans to increase personnel to 260,000, with a targeted reserve force of 200,000.
Tensions between Washington and Berlin have sharpened after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz last week said the United States was being “humiliated” by Iran and accused Washington of lacking a clear strategy. The troop drawdown adds another friction point to transatlantic relations at a moment when NATO’s eastern members are seeking a more robust U.S. presence to counter Russian military activity.