The U.S. Plans to Withdraw 5,000 Troops from Germany

On May 1, Xinhua News Agency reported from Washington (reporters Huang Qiang and Xu Jianmei) that U.S. Pentagon officials announced plans to withdraw about 5,000 U.S. military personnel from Germany. In recent days, President Trump has repeatedly criticized German Chancellor Merkel, threatening to reduce the U.S. military presence in Germany.

According to U.S. Department of Defense officials, some of the U.S. troops withdrawing from Europe may first return to the United States before being redeployed overseas. This move aims to align with the Pentagon's strategic focus, concentrating resources and efforts on the U.S. homeland and the Indo-Pacific region.

Pentagon Chief Spokesman Sean Parnell stated that the withdrawal is expected to be completed within the next 6 to 12 months.

U.S. officials also indicated that this withdrawal operation will not affect the transportation of injured U.S. military personnel to the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. This medical center is the largest hospital established by the U.S. overseas and has treated U.S. military personnel injured in the conflict with Iran.

Media outlets such as CBS News reported that Pentagon officials believe this withdrawal plan indicates Trump's dissatisfaction with European allies' assistance in the conflict with Iran.

On April 27, Merkel stated that the U.S. launched military action against Iran without any strategic planning, leading to a dilemma and resulting in "humiliation" from the Iranian side. Trump responded on social media, saying that Merkel "doesn't know what she's talking about," and later mentioned that the U.S. is considering the possibility of reducing its military presence in Germany, with a decision expected to be made soon. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas stated on the 30th that Germany "is prepared for this."

The U.S. military presence in Germany is a product of the Allied military occupation of Germany after World War II and the U.S. global military deployment. Currently, both the U.S. European Command and the U.S. Africa Command are located in Stuttgart, Germany. Ramstein Air Base in Germany serves as a major logistics hub for U.S. military operations in the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia. According to data from the U.S. Department of Defense, by the end of 2025, more than 36,000 U.S. military personnel are stationed in Germany.