European leaders have expressed surprise at President Donald Trump's abrupt decision to pull some 5,000 American troops out of Germany, with NATO scrambling to understand the details of a move that was not coordinated with allies in advance. The Pentagon announced the withdrawal last week, but Trump told reporters on Saturday that the cuts would go further than 5,000 — offering no explanation for the decision. NATO spokesperson Allison Hart confirmed the alliance is "working with the U.S. to understand the details of their decision on force posture in Germany."
The announcement came amid a public dispute between Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Earlier this week, Merz said at a school event in Marsberg that the Americans "clearly have no strategy" in the Middle East and that Iran was humiliating the United States — comments that drew a sharp rebuke from Trump on his Truth Social platform. Despite the timing, Merz has insisted there is no direct link between the quarrel and the troop withdrawal, saying he must "accept that the American president has a different view on these issues" while maintaining that the U.S. remains an important partner. Germany's government added that the trans-Atlantic relationship remains resilient and that American nuclear deterrence within NATO territory is not in question.
Speaking at a European Political Community summit in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, European leaders sought to strike a measured tone. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said he did not see the figures as "dramatic" but stressed that any changes should be handled "in a harmonious way inside the framework of NATO." British Prime Minister Keir Starmer acknowledged there is "more tension" in some international alliances "than there should be," while EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the timing of the announcement "comes as a surprise" and reinforced the need to "strengthen the European pillar in NATO." NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, who has been a consistent defender of Trump's leadership within the alliance, attributed part of the friction to European allies' reluctance to support the U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran.
The troop withdrawal is not occurring in isolation. France, Spain, and the United Kingdom have declined to allow U.S. forces unrestricted use of their bases to strike Iran, and Spain has denied the use of its airspace and territory altogether. Trump's decision also follows broader pressure on European defence: in response to his warnings over the past year, European countries and Canada have increased defence spending and military recruitment. The Tomahawk cruise missiles that former President Biden had pledged to station in Germany — seen by Berlin as a key deterrent against Russia until Europe develops comparable weapons — are now unlikely to arrive, a point Merz acknowledged by noting Trump had never formally agreed to Biden's commitment.
The episode underscores a deepening unease in the trans-Atlantic relationship. Beyond security, Trump has announced plans to raise tariffs on EU cars and trucks to 25%, a move that would hit Germany — Europe's largest automobile manufacturer — especially hard. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, herself German, pointedly highlighted the EU's recently concluded trade agreements with Australia and India without naming the United States, signalling that Europe is actively diversifying its partnerships in response to growing uncertainty from Washington.