Reuters, citing the Pentagon, reported that the United States intends to withdraw 5,000 servicemen from Germany within the next 6–12 months.

According to the agency, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the redeployment of American soldiers from Germany. Media reports specify that the process is expected to be completed within six months to a year.

Earlier, The Telegraph, citing NATO sources, wrote that the alliance had not discussed a possible withdrawal of US troops from Germany, despite public statements by US President Donald Trump.

The publication noted that for the issue to be brought to the NATO level, Washington and Berlin would first need to reach a bilateral agreement, but no such agreement currently exists. One Telegraph source recalled that Trump had repeatedly threatened similar steps before but had never carried them out. The newspaper’s sources also cited the lack of a clear plan for redeploying all 35,000 US servicemen as an additional problem. Greenland, Romania and the Middle East were mentioned among possible destinations, but according to the outlet, no serious preparations are being made for those routes.

The situation escalated after sharp statements by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. He said the United States had shown weakness by allowing itself to be humiliated by Iran and had no clear strategy for exiting the conflict. Merz also noted that the fighting in Iran and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz had already seriously hit Germany’s economy. In response, Trump again issued warnings about a possible review of the US military presence in Germany.

There are currently about 35,000 American troops stationed in Germany — the largest US force in Europe. Bases in Ramstein, Grafenwoehr, Baumholder and other locations remain key NATO logistics and command centers.

Trump has repeatedly raised the issue of reducing the US contingent in Germany. During his first presidential term in 2017–2021, he demanded that European allies increase defense spending to 2% of GDP and threatened to review the US military presence in Europe.