The United States formalized on Saturday the withdrawal of around 5,000 soldiers stationed in Germany within a year, an announcement which comes in a climate of strong tensions between Donald Trump and Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The two men are opposed on strategy in Iran and trade. While Berlin urges Europe to strengthen its own security, NATO seeks to clarify Washington's position.

Published on: 02/05/2026 - 06:37 Modified on: 02/05/2026 - 14:16

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American Defense Minister Pete Hegseth has ordered the withdrawal of some 5,000 troops from Germany within a year, the Pentagon said on Friday, May 1. If Berlin takes note of this “expected” measure, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius calls on Europeans to “take more responsibility” for their own security. In this climate of strong transatlantic tensions, NATO is seeking to “better understand” the decision.

Washington plans to reduce its military presence in Germany by around 15% of the 36,000 troops stationed, a withdrawal that the Pentagon estimates it can complete in "the next six to twelve months", according to its spokesperson Sean Parnell.

“That United States troops would withdraw from Europe and also from Germany was expected,” responded German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius in a comment sent to AFP by his ministry. “We Europeans must take more responsibility for our security,” he added.

Donald Trump came to this announcement targeting Germany, a NATO ally country, after Chancellor Friedrich Merz estimated on Monday that "the Americans (had) visibly no strategy" in Iran and that Tehran was "humiliating" the world's leading power.

Live: Iran considers a resumption of conflict “likely”, Trump says it is “over”

“He thinks it’s OK for Iran to acquire nuclear weapons. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about!” Donald Trump retorted on Tuesday. Without responding directly, Friedrich Merz called on Thursday for “a reliable transatlantic partnership”.

While efforts to reach a negotiated settlement of the conflict are at a standstill, the American president is attacking his traditional European allies, whom he criticizes for a lack of support in his offensive launched at the end of February against the Islamic Republic.

Also read: Trump will raise customs duties to 25% on European vehicles

"The President's Mood"

NATO is "working" with the United States to "better understand" the decision to withdraw American troops from Germany announced by Washington, an alliance spokesperson said on Saturday.

The American presence in the country remains "in the interest" of Germany and "in the interest of the United States", because these troops serve as "collective deterrence", according to Boris Pistorius.

Since the end of the Cold War, the American presence in Germany has declined sharply but remains central to the country's security in the face of the Russian threat since the invasion of Ukraine, while supporting thousands of jobs and contracts in a struggling German economy.

“Reducing our military presence in Europe at a time when Russian forces continue to mercilessly attack Ukraine and harass our NATO allies is an invaluable gift to Vladimir Putin and suggests that American commitments to our allies depend on the president's mood,” denounced Democratic Senator Jack Reed.

Donald Trump also mentioned on Thursday a possible reduction of American forces in Italy and Spain, while, at the end of 2025, the two countries hosted 12,662 and 3,814 American soldiers respectively, according to official figures.

“Substantial effects” of automobile surcharges

Donald Trump also indirectly attacked Germany and its significant automobile exports on Friday by announcing that he wanted to increase customs duties on vehicles imported into the United States from the European Union to 25% "next week."

He criticizes the EU for not respecting the trade agreement concluded last summer, while the validation process of this agreement has not yet come to an end within the bloc of 27. If the United States does not respect its part of the agreement, she added, "we will keep all options open to protect the interests of the EU", retorted the EU delegation in Washington.

Raising customs duties on cars and trucks imported from the European Union to 25% could cost Germany nearly 15 billion euros in production, the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW) told Reuters on Saturday.

“The effects would be substantial,” said its president, Moritz Schularick, adding that production losses could reach around 30 billion euros in the longer term.

The German automobile industry has also called for “de-escalation” and the “rapid opening of negotiations”. These surcharges would entail "enormous costs for the German and European automobile industry, already facing very difficult conditions", declared the president of the German automobile lobby (VDA), Hildegard Müller, in a press release sent to AFP.

Other European economies with large automotive sectors, including Italy, Slovakia and Sweden, are also expected to suffer significant losses, the IfW added.

With AFP and Reuters

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