Senior Pentagon official Elbridge Colby has praised Germany’s defence strategy in surprisingly positive comments that come shortly after the US launched a review of its troop presence in Europe.
“By its actions, Germany is positioning itself as a key leader of Europe’s conventional defense,” Under Secretary Colby wrote on X after meeting the inspector general of the German armed forces, Carsten Breuer.
Colby, who is the third-highest-ranking official in the Pentagon, praised “Germany’s historic, highly laudable new military strategy” without going into details.
The plans, alongside Germany’s commitment to swiftly meet the new NATO defence spending target of 5% agreed last year “will dramatically accelerate NATO 3.0 and strengthen the Alliance’s ability to achieve deterrence by denial,” Colby said.
Following calls by US President Donald Trump for Europe to take more responsibility for the continent’s security, NATO member states pledged in June 2025 to raise defence spending from at least 2% of gross domestic product to 3.5% by 2035, with another 1.5% to be invested in related expenditure like infrastructure.
Germany aims to reach the 5% target by 2029.
Colby, who said the meeting with Bundeswehr chief Breuer had taken place on July 23, said last week that the US military had begun an announced review of its troop presence in Europe.
He said at the time that the review was intended to ensure that NATO moves swiftly and irreversibly towards Europe taking primary responsibility for its own conventional defence.
The under secretary did not give details about what aspects of the military presence would be examined. In June, however, media reports said that in addition to troop numbers, the number of combat jets, drones, tanker aircraft and naval units stationed in Europe was also to be analysed and reduced.
Earlier this year, Trump and US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth caused a stir when they announced a withdrawal of some 5,000 US troops from Germany, though it remains unclear whether those plans will be put into action.