US moves 5,000 soldiers from Germany

TT 

Updated 00.01 | Published 2026-05-01 23.43

 

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Thursday. Photo: Markus Schreiber/AP/TT

The US defense headquarters, the Pentagon, plans to move 5,000 soldiers from Germany, several media outlets report.

The announcement comes after increasingly harsh rhetoric between President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The latter has said, among other things, that the US lacks a “convincing strategy” and is “humiliated” by Iran, which has led Trump to express his desire to reduce forces in the country.

The US military has more than 36,000 active soldiers in Germany, according to CBS News.