US to cut troop levels in Germany by 5,000
Defence affairs analysis - Def-Geopolitics The US Defence Department plans to withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany, amid a spat between President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over the war with Iran. The decision comes a day after Trump criticised Merz, who suggested the US had been "humiliated" by Iranian negotiators. The US has a significant military presence in Germany, with more than 36,000 active duty troops assigned to bases across the country as of last December. Defence Minister Boris Pistorius told the German Press Agency in Berlin that "the presence of American soldiers in Europe, and particularly in Germany, is in our interest and in the interest of the US". At the same time, he made it clear that the decision did not come as a surprise. The fact that the US would withdraw troops from Europe and also from Germany "was foreseeable", he said. In social media posts on Thursday, Trump said Merz was "doing a terribl...
