US plans troop withdrawal from Germany after Merz criticism | DW News
Pentagon officials say the United States plans to withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany, where more than 40,000 US service members are currently stationed — Washington’s second largest overseas deployment after Japan.
The move comes amid tensions between President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who has criticized the Trump administration’s lack of an exit strategy in the joint US-Israeli war against Iran.
The conflict has driven fuel prices higher following the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for Gulf oil exports. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius says the troop reduction is foreseeable as the US shifts its strategic focus.
We spoke to Ralf Hechler, mayor of Ramstein — home to the largest US airbase outside the United States — and Sudha David Wilp of the German Marshall Fund about whether the withdrawal is linked to Merz’s remarks and what it could mean for Ramstein’s future role.
00:00 Trump ramps up feud with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz
00:31 “Ramstein is the global gateway for the American military,” Ralf Hechler, mayor of Ramstein
05:58 Statement of German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius
06:40 Timing of announcement raises eyebrows, although Germany and Europe are ready for a troop reduction: Sudha David Wilp of the German Marshall Fund
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