Trump says cutting US troops in Germany 'a lot further'

US President Donald Trump has said he plans to cut the number of US troops stationed in Germany "a lot further," a day after the Defense Department ordered the pullback of around 5,000 American service members.

"We're going to cut way down and we're cutting a lot further than 5,000," Trump told reporters in Florida ⁠on Saturday.

A spokesperson for the Defense Department said the withdrawal would be completed in the next six to 12 months.

As part of the decision, a Biden-era plan to deploy a US battalion with long-range Tomahawk missiles to Germany has also been scrapped.

The announcement came after a public spat between German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Trump earlier in the week. Merz questioned Washington's exit strategy in the Middle East and said Iran was "humiliating" the US at the negotiating table, prompting an angry response from Trump.

There are currently more than 50,000 US service members stationed in Germany.

Top Republicans say sends 'wrong signal'

In the US, Democrats were quick to criticize the planned withdrawal.

Republican lawmakers Senator Roger Wicker and Representative Mike Rogers, the chairs of the Senate and House armed services committees, also said they were also "very concerned."

In a joint statement, they said the decision "risks undermining deterrence and sending the wrong signal to [Russian President] Vladimir Putin."

They added that any big changes to the US force posture in Europe should be reviewed and coordinated with Congress.

"We expect the Department to engage with its oversight committees in the days and weeks ahead on this decision and its implications for US deterrence and trans-Atlantic security," the statement said.

The two lawmakers also noted that Germany had heeded Trump's calls to boost defense spending and that it had given US forces access to its bases and airspace in the ongoing war with Iran.

US troop cuts, arms delays weaken European defense: expert

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

How did Germany respond?

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said Saturday the partial drawdown was expected and that Europe needed to take on more responsibility for its own security.

He also said "Germany is on the right track" by seeking to expand its armed forces, speed up military procurement and build more infrastructure.

The US military ⁠presence in Germany, which began as an occupation force after World War II, peaked in the 1960s when thousands of American troops were stationed there during the Cold War.

The latest US figures show there are around 86,000 US soldiers currently in Europe, Germany hosts more than 36,000 active-duty personnel, according to the US Defense Manpower Data Center and over 11,000 national guard and reserve soldiers and civilian personnel.

Withdrawing 5,000 troops is unlikely to impact combat power, but "in terms of messaging of US commitment though, it's very different," a US defense official told The Associated Press.

Impact will be felt in the long run

Trump has long threatened to reduce troop numbers in Germany. It was not immediately clear which bases or operations would be affected by the decision.

For decades, dozens of major US military bases in Europe have served an important role in US operations globally. Germany hosts a number of American facilities, including the US European Command in Stuttgart, a medical center in Landstuhl and Ramstein Air Base. US nuclear missiles are also stationed in the country.

Ramstein mayor: Air base a 'global gateway' for US military

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

"US troops in Germany are supposed to serve as a deterrent against external threats such as Russia. And the problem with a withdrawal is the fact that the German government cannot fill this gap very quickly, even if money is invested," Marina Miron, military analyst at King's College London, told DW.

"On the one hand, in the long term this could give Germany an opportunity to assume a stronger role within the [NATO] alliance in the form of a deterrent against the threat from the eastern flank. On the other hand, it creates a huge gap that needs to be filled very quickly."

Sudha David-Wilp, senior vice president of external relations and a senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the United States in Berlin, told DW the US presence in Europe is also beneficial for US force projection.

"It doesn't really help to put a strain on the relationship when Germany has actually been sort of stepping up to play a helpful role for the United States, and also ready to be an assistant, like a trustworthy, capable partner, as the US tries to look at challenges not just in the Middle East, but also in the Indo-Pacific," she said.

Edited by: Louis Oelofse