BERLIN, Germany (AFP) — Germany’s defense minister on Saturday said the withdrawal of American troops from Germany had been expected and that Europe needed to do more to ensure its own security.
“That US troops are withdrawing from Europe and also from Germany was to be expected,” Boris Pistorius said in a statement sent to Agence France-Presse by his ministry. “We Europeans must take greater responsibility for our security,” he added.
The Pentagon on Friday announced the withdrawal of about 5,000 troops from Germany within the next year, the latest rift in transatlantic ties over the Mideast war.
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a Friday statement that “We expect the withdrawal to be completed over the next six to twelve months.”
“This decision follows a thorough review of the Department’s force posture in Europe and is in recognition of theater requirements and conditions on the ground,” Parnell added.
The move came as United States President Donald Trump announced that tariffs on cars and trucks from the European Union would increase to 25 percent next week, accusing the bloc of not complying with a trade deal signed last summer.
Trump on Friday accused German automakers like Mercedes-Benz and BMW of ripping off Americans, saying that Germany and “other European nations have not adhered to our trade deal.”
Germany would likely be hit hard by a sharp vehicle tariff, as it is responsible for a significant portion of EU auto exports.
Trump has renewed criticism of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who said Monday that Iran was “humiliating” Washington at the negotiating table. Trump said Merz “thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about!”
On Wednesday, the American leader said Washington was “studying and reviewing the possible reduction” of US troops in Germany, and that he would decide in a “short period of time.”
During both of his terms in office, Trump has made a number of threats to slash US troop numbers in Germany and other European allies, saying he wants Europe to take on greater responsibility for its defense rather than depending on Washington.
Trump now appears determined to punish allies who have failed to back the war or contribute to a peacekeeping force in the crucial Strait of Hormuz waterway, which Tehran’s forces have effectively closed.