Trump Orders Withdrawal of 5,000 U.S. Troops from Germany, Sending a 'Warning' to Allies

[The Financial News] U.S. media outlets reported in unison that U.S. President Donald John Trump has ordered the withdrawal of 5,000 United States Armed Forces personnel stationed in Germany.
According to CBS, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), The Hill, and other outlets, Sean Parnell, a spokesperson for the United States Department of Defense (DoD), said on the 1st (local time), "This decision follows the Department's thorough review of the U.S. force posture in Europe and takes local conditions into account." He added, "The withdrawal will take place over the next 6 to 12 months."
Earlier, on the 29th of last month, U.S. President Donald John Trump had warned, "We are considering reducing the number of U.S. troops stationed in Germany," and added that "a decision will be made soon."
Defense Department officials explained that some of the troops withdrawn from Germany would first return to the contiguous United States and then be reassigned to other overseas bases. They said the move is intended to focus on the U.S. mainland and the Indo-Pacific region. The officials also said the plan would affect one brigade combat team stationed in Germany, and that long-range missiles originally scheduled to be deployed to a German base later this year would instead be sent elsewhere.
Since the end of World War II (WWII), the U.S. has stationed large numbers of troops in Germany. As of the end of last year, about 36,000 U.S. troops were based there. Around 1,500 reservists and about 11,500 civilians also work alongside them.
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The U.S. military bases in Germany house USEUCOM and AFRICOM, and Ramstein Air Base is regarded as a key hub for U.S. military operations.
The DoD says the troop reduction was decided with the U.S. force posture in mind, but some analysts say it reflects President Trump's frustration with European allies after the Iran war.
Indeed, a senior DoD official told one media outlet, "The president has been very clear in expressing his dissatisfaction with allies' rhetoric and with their failure to provide support for U.S. operations that benefit them."
As the move confirms that large-scale U.S. troop redeployments could follow President Trump's assessment of allies' security contributions, it is expected to serve as a warning to U.S. allies around the world.
During his first administration, in July 2020, Trump also announced a plan to cut about 12,000 troops, or one-third of the U.S. forces in Germany, and redeploy them to the U.S. and other parts of Europe. However, the plan was halted after the Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. administration took office the following year.
Meanwhile, attention is also turning to whether the move will affect USFK.
In response to a related question on the 30th of last month, Kang Yu-jeong, Chief Spokesperson at Cheong Wa Dae, said, "Our government is closely monitoring the possibility of changes in the U.S. force posture around the world," and added, "There are currently no discussions between South Korea and the U.S. about reducing or withdrawing USFK."
gogosing@fnnews.com Park So-hyun Reporter