Donald Trump is to withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany amid an intensifying row with Friedrich Merz.
The US president threatened to redeploy American forces in the country this week, having been angered by the German chancellor’s claim that Iran had “humiliated” the US.
Pete Hegseth, the US defence secretary, “has ordered the withdrawal of approximately 5,000 troops from Germany”, said Sean Parnell, the chief Pentagon spokesman, late on Friday.
“This decision follows a thorough review of the department’s force posture in Europe and is in recognition of theatre requirements and conditions on the ground.”
The troop withdrawal will be completed “over the next six to 12 months”, he added.
On Monday, Mr Merz claimed the US had been “humiliated by the Iranian leadership” after an American delegation left negotiations in Islamabad on April 12 without a peace deal.
The US president had threatened to withdraw forces earlier in the week after sparring with Friedrich Merz – Reuters
Mr Trump has repeatedly lashed out at his former ally in the days since, saying the German chancellor was “doing a terrible job” and “doesn’t know what he’s talking about”.
A senior Pentagon official told Reuters: “The president is rightly reacting to these counterproductive remarks”, calling Mr Merz’s comments “inappropriate and unhelpful”.
The official said a brigade combat team would be withdrawn from Germany, and a battalion that was planned to be deployed later this year would no longer be sent.
The US currently has around 35,000 active-duty personnel in the country, who make up the bulk of America’s military presence on the continent.
Germany is the US military’s biggest basing location in Europe – AFP
An insider told The Telegraph on Wednesday that Mr Trump could instead redeploy the troops to Poland, Romania, the Middle East or Greenland.
Bolstering the American presence in Greenland would cause consternation in Europe after the US president repeatedly threatened to annex the territory, which belongs to Denmark, a Nato ally.
Germany has the largest defence budget in Europe, which at €106.9bn ($125.37bn) is some 25 per cent higher than Britain’s military spending.
Its spending, roughly triple its budget from 2014, is seen as a response to Mr Trump’s frequent threats that he will not defend Nato allies, in addition to the threat posed by Vladimir Putin.
Mr Merz has said Germany will spend “whatever it takes”, and military spending has been exempted from constitutional limits on the national debt.
The US could instead redeploy the troops to Poland, Romania, the Middle East or Greenland – AFP
Mr Trump’s relationship with many European leaders has fallen apart since the start of the Iran war, when he believes the US’s allies failed to come to its aid.
On Thursday, he suggested he could withdraw troops from elsewhere on the continent, complaining that Italy “has not been of any help to us” and Spain had been “absolutely horrible”.
The King, in his address to Congress on Tuesday, urged the US to remember the value of Nato and how the alliance came to America’s aid after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Separately, Mr Trump, whose popularity has declined the longer the war drags on amid surging oil prices, claimed the conflict was “terminated” on Friday.
“There has been no exchange of fire between the United States and Iran since April 7, 2026,” the US president wrote in a letter to Congress. “The hostilities that began on February 28, 2026, have terminated.”
The message appeared to be an attempt to stop Congress wresting away control of the war, which limits military operations to 60 days without congressional approval.
Nevertheless, Mr Trump is without an obvious exit strategy from the war. Iran has proved willing to soak up military and economic pain from the US’s bombing and blockade of its ports, while it is unwilling to negotiate away its nuclear ambitions.
Walking away also presents issues for the US president, as it would effectively leave Iran in control of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for oil and gas flows.