A planned drawdown of 5,000 U.S. troops from Germany was expected, but should spur Europeans to strengthen their own defences, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said on Saturday, after Washington’s latest salvo against transatlantic ties, Reuters reports.
The Pentagon announced the drawdown from Germany, its largest European base, on Friday, as a rift over the Iran war and tariff tensions place further strain on relations between the U.S. and Europe.
Pistorius said the partial withdrawal would affect a current U.S. presence of almost 40,000 soldiers stationed in Germany.
“We Europeans must take on more responsibility for our own security,” Pistorius said, adding, “Germany is on the right track” by expanding its armed forces, speeding up military procurement and building infrastructure.
