Trump: "Cut of U.S. Troops in Germany Will Far Exceed 5,000"... U.S. Political Circles Express Concern

Trump Hints at Further Troop Withdrawals Beyond Pentagon Announcement
Republican Leaders of Congressional Armed Services Committees Voice Concerns
"Wrong Signal to Putin, Grave Mistake"

U.S. President Donald Trump has indicated that the scale of the reduction of U.S. troops stationed in Germany will far exceed the level initially announced by the U.S. Department of Defense.

U.S. President Donald Trump. Photo by Yonhap News

According to an Associated Press report on the 2nd (local time), President Trump, speaking to reporters in Florida, stated, "We will reduce far more than 5,000 troops." He did not provide a specific answer when asked about the reasons for reducing the troop numbers. Previously, the U.S. Department of Defense had announced plans to withdraw about 5,000 troops—approximately one-seventh of the 36,000 U.S. troops stationed in Germany—over a period of six to twelve months.

As President Trump hinted at further reductions, making a large-scale change in the deployment of U.S. forces in Europe inevitable, concerns have been raised across the U.S. political spectrum, regardless of party affiliation.

Roger Wicker (Republican–Mississippi), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Mike Rogers (Republican–Alabama), Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, stated in a joint statement that this measure risks sending the wrong signal to Russian President Vladimir Putin. They criticized, "Rather than a full withdrawal, relocating 5,000 U.S. troops to Eastern Europe would better serve U.S. interests."

Jack Reed (Democrat–Rhode Island), Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, also commented, "President Trump must immediately reverse this foolish decision," and emphasized, "With an ongoing war, withdrawing troops is a grave mistake."

The German government has taken a cautious stance. Boris Pistorius, German Defense Minister, described the move as an "expected measure," adding, "Europe must take greater responsibility for its own security." He also stressed, "The presence of U.S. troops in Germany serves the interests of both sides."

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) stated that it is in close communication with the United States to clarify the details.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.