Trump plans to withdraw over 5,000 US troops from Germany

Around 3 May 2026, Trump said the US will cut its troop presence in Germany by “a lot further” than 5,000, according to the Associated Press. TASS reported that the US will reduce troops stationed abroad by more than 5,000. Germany said a US troop withdrawal was “anticipated”, NPR reported, and Spain and Italy could be next.

EurActiv wrote that Trump said the US could withdraw troops from Italy and Spain too. Al Jazeera reported the cut came as a dispute over the Iran war deepened, and CNN wrote that the loss of 5,000 US troops in Germany is just the tip of the challenge facing Europe. Izvestia, citing the Financial Times, reported that US plans to deploy long-range weapons in Germany could change.