A planned drawdown of U.S. troops from Germany should spur Europeans to strengthen their own defences further, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said on Saturday, following the latest salvo from Washington against transatlantic ties, Reuters reports.
The Pentagon announced on Friday that the United States would withdraw 5,000 soldiers from Germany, its largest European base, as a rift over the Iran war and tariff tensions place further strain on relations between the U.S. and Europe.
Pistorius said the move was expected.
Trump had threatened a drawdown in forces earlier this week after sparring with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who has questioned Washington's strategy in the Middle East.
Pistorius said the partial withdrawal would affect a current U.S. presence of almost 40,000 soldiers stationed in Germany. Other estimates put the active-duty troop presence at 35,000.
"We Europeans must take on more responsibility for our own security," Pistorius said, adding, "Germany is on the right track" by expanding its armed forces, speeding up military procurement and building infrastructure.
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