The news came as a shock in Germany, where around 40,000 Americans are stationed: a strategic and symbolic military presence that has held since the postwar era. The withdrawn troops are due to leave in the next six to 12 months.
By Elsa Conesa
On Friday, May 1, US President Donald Trump ordered the withdrawal of 5,000 American troops stationed in Germany, out of the approximately 40,000 who are permanently based there. The soldiers are set to leave within the next six to 12 months.
While the announcement had been preceded by repeated threats from Washington, it nevertheless sent shockwaves through Germany, a country that has hosted a strategic and symbolic American military presence since the end of World War II. Above all, it highlighted the deterioration of relations between the two countries that has been ongoing since the US-Israeli offensive in Iran started, on February 28.
This partial withdrawal of American troops was presented as a response to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's recent criticism of Washington. On Monday, April 27, Merz broke with his usual reserve and, while on the sidelines of a visit to a school, publicly mocked the United States and Israel's joint military operation in Iran. "The Americans clearly have no truly convincing strategy," he said. "A whole nation is being humiliated by the Iranian leadership."
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