US withdrawing 5,000 troops from Germany

BERLIN, May 2: A planned drawdown of 5,000 US troops from Germany was expected, but should spur Europeans to strengthen their own defences, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said on Saturday, after Washington's latest salvo against transatlantic ties.
The Pentagon announced the drawdown from Germany, its largest European base, on Friday, as a rift over the Iran war and tariff tensions place further strain on relations between the US and Europe.
Trump called for a reduced military presence in Germany as far back as his first term and has repeatedly urged Europe to take responsibility for its defence. However, he stepped up the threat earlier this week after sparring with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who has questioned Washington's exit strategy in the Middle East.
Pistorius said the partial withdrawal would affect a current US presence of almost 40,000 soldiers stationed in Germany.
According to the US Defense Manpower Data Center, 36,436 active service members were stationed in Germany as of December last year.
"We Europeans must take on more responsibility for our own security," Pistorius said, adding, "Germany is on the right track" by expanding its armed forces, speeding up military procurement and building infrastructure.    �"REUTERS