US to Withdraw 5,000 Troops from Germany Amid European NATO Defense Spending Pledges

U.S. military personnel from Germany, where nearly 40,000 American troops are currently stationed. German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius stated on May 2, 2026, in Berlin that Europeans must take greater responsibility for their own security.

He described the withdrawal as foreseeable and expected, noting that the presence of American soldiers in Europe and especially in Germany remains in the interest of both Germany and the United States. Pistorius highlighted Germany's progress, stating that the country is on the right track in assuming more responsibility.

Germany is expanding its Bundeswehr armed forces, procuring greater amounts of equipment more quickly, and constructing more infrastructure for its military.

U.S. Army conducted the Combined Resolve exercise at training facilities in Hohenfels, southern Germany, on April 30, 2026. Soldiers stood next to razor wire during a media day at the event, as captured in photographs.

European NATO members, including Germany, have pledged to take on more responsibility for their own defense in response to heavy criticism from Washington over defense spending. Tight budgets and vast military capability gaps mean it will take years for the region to meet its own security needs.

“Germany is on the right track" in this regard, Pistorius said, pointing to the expansion of its Bundeswehr armed forces, greater and faster procurement of equipment and the construction of infrastructure. Friedrich Merz stated that Europe must take more responsibility for its own security. Pistorius added that Europe needed to do more to ensure its own security, while emphasizing the importance of shared military interests with the U.S. The withdrawal underlines ongoing shifts in transatlantic defense dynamics, with Germany balancing increased autonomy and continued reliance on U.S. presence.”