Tensions across the Atlantic are prompting Germany to press for stronger home-grown defences, as the United States prepares to withdraw thousands of troops from its largest European outpost.
On Saturday, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius warned that the move underscores the need for Europeans to shoulder more of their own security burden.
The Pentagon revealed on Friday it would reduce its presence in Germany by 5,000 soldiers, a decision fuelled by ongoing rifts over the Iran war and tariff disputes. The announcement followed U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats earlier in the week, after a public spat with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Middle East policy. Pistorius described the pullback as long anticipated.
This affects around 40,000 U.S. personnel in Germany, including roughly 35,000 active-duty troops at critical sites such as Ramstein Air Base and Landstuhl Regional Medical Center. These facilities have supported American operations in conflicts from Iraq and Afghanistan to the current fight in Iran.
“We Europeans must take on more responsibility for our own security,” Pistorius said. He added that “Germany is on the right track” through army expansion, faster weapons procurement, and new infrastructure builds.
Berlin plans to grow the Bundeswehr from 185,000 to 260,000 active soldiers, backed by an extended €100 billion fund approved by the Bundestag. Critics push for even more amid Russia’s bolstered forces of 1.5 million post-Ukraine, as noted in NATO’s recent assessments. While NATO allies recommitted to 2% GDP spending at last year’s summits, gaps in air defence and munitions mean full readiness could take until 2030, according to think tanks.
The U.S. military history in Germany dates to 1945, peaking at over 300,000 troops in the 1960s to counter the Soviets. Now, one full brigade departs, and a planned long-range fires battalion for later this year faces cancellation.
That unit would have bolstered deterrence against Russia while Europe develops its missiles, such as under the Sky Shield project. Pistorius’s call aligns with NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg’s push for autonomy without isolation, signalling Europe’s resolve to stand taller.