Trump is withdrawing American troops from Germany. What the media is writing
US President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly criticized European NATO allies for their lack of support for the US military campaign in Iran, has moved from words to actions. The United States intends to withdraw part of its contingent from Germany, the main American military hub in Europe. What the foreign media write about it is in the Izvestia digest.
Reuters: withdrawal of troops from Germany has become a punishment for a disloyal ally
On May 1, the Pentagon announced the withdrawal of 5,000 US troops from Germany amid heightened disagreements between US President Donald Trump and Europe over the war in Iran. Earlier this week, Trump threatened to reduce the number of troops after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on April 27 that the Iranians were "humiliating" the United States in negotiations to end the two-month war, and that he did not understand what strategy Washington was using to resolve the conflict.
Reuters
A senior Pentagon official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Germany's recent rhetoric was "inappropriate and unhelpful." "The president is responding fairly to these counterproductive remarks," the official said. The Pentagon said the withdrawal is expected to be completed within the next 6-12 months. There are about 35,000 active-duty U.S. military personnel stationed in Germany, more than anywhere else in Europe.
According to the official representative, the reduction of US troops in Germany will bring the number of US troops to the level of 2022, which existed before the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine, when former US President Joe Biden began to increase its military presence in Europe. This not only makes Europe the main supplier of security on the continent, but also shows Trump's willingness to respond to allied disloyalty.
Le Monde: Trump withdraws troops from Germany in response to criticism from Merz
The Pentagon ordered the withdrawal of about 5,000 troops from Germany during the year, which is 15% of the number of American troops stationed there. According to official data, by the end of 2025, more than 36,000 American troops were stationed in Germany. The statement was made after earlier this week, US President Donald Trump announced a possible reduction in the number of US military personnel in Germany after outraged comments by Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Le Monde
Donald Trump is particularly unhappy with the United States' European allies for their unwillingness to provide logistical or military support to the Israeli-American offensive against Iran, as well as for ensuring the security of the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, which is practically blocked by Tehran. More broadly, during his two terms as president, the Republican repeatedly criticized European countries for what he considered insufficient commitment to their own defense, as well as NATO, accusing it of being overly dependent on American military protection. He regularly raised the issue of the threat of the withdrawal of American troops.
Trump is also considering reducing the number of American troops in Spain and Italy, attributing this to the circumstances of the war in Iran. "Italy didn't help, and Spain was disgusting," he said. According to official data, at the end of 2025, there were 12,662 US military personnel in Italy and 3,814 in Spain. The European Union stressed that the presence of American troops in Europe meets the interests of the United States.
El Mundo: Trump's strategic decision has become punitive towards Germany
During his first term, US President Donald Trump has already approved the redeployment of troops to counter the Chinese threat: this was supposed to lead to a reduction in the number of troops by 12 thousand people in the main center of the deployment of US troops in Europe. Recent documents on the national security and defense strategy have already made it clear that Europe is not a priority for the United States. But now the decision has not so much a strategic as a punitive goal — punishing the largest EU country after criticizing the US military operation in Iran.
El Mundo
Germany, with more than 36,000 troops, is the largest U.S. military center in Europe and has been repeatedly used by the United States to deliver troops to the Middle Eastern theater of operations or as the main hospital for the wounded far from home. Since the Cold War, it has been the heart of NATO's presence on the continent and a symbol of deterrence, first of all for the USSR and then for Russia. Similarly, the bases in the country were the main logistics centers for refueling as part of Operation Epic Fury, the bombing campaign against Iran.
Trump has been showing his displeasure with NATO and Germany, Spain and Italy in particular, in recent weeks. Berlin did not prohibit the use of its airspace or its bases, but refused to join the operation or liberate the Strait of Hormuz by military means, after which Trump began attacking Germany in his speeches — less than Spain, but quite often. American officials, quoted by Fox News and the WSJ, reported that along with the withdrawal of the army brigade, the decision of the government of former US President Joe Hockey to deploy a battalion with long-range missiles in Germany at the end of this year will be canceled. The United States and Germany announced such a deployment at the 2024 NATO summit in Washington.
The Guardian: reducing its troops in Europe will complicate operations for the United States
Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said he did not understand the motives of US President Donald Trump, who threatened to withdraw American troops from Italy, and rejected accusations that Rome had not provided any assistance to the United States, especially in matters of maritime security. Spain, which has denied the US the use of its military bases and is the most vocal critic of the US military campaign in Iran, has not given an official response to Trump's statement.
The Guardian
According to the US Department of Defense Human Resources Data Center, at the end of last year, 68,000 active-duty military personnel were permanently stationed in the US armed Forces at permanent bases in Europe. It is unclear how much Trump would support a significant reduction in the number of American troops. Since the end of the Cold War, American bases in Europe have become key forward locations and logistics centers for U.S. military operations, participating in wars including Iraq, Afghanistan and, most recently, Iran.
Military analysts, opposition Democrats and even some members of the Republican Party consider the US military presence in Europe vital, and a large-scale withdrawal of troops or the closure of bases, especially in Germany, could cost billions of dollars and significantly reduce Washington's ability to conduct operations around the world. According to Republican Don Bacon, attacks on NATO allies harm Americans: "Two large airfields in Germany provide us with excellent access to three continents. We're hurting ourselves." At the end of last year, in response to Trump's threats to weaken military ties with Europe, the US House of Representatives approved a defense bill limiting the president's authority to reduce the number of troops, prohibiting a drop in numbers on the continent below 76,000 for more than 45 days and preventing the withdrawal of large military equipment.
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