Germany reacted to Trump's decision to withdraw 5,000 US military personnel

Germany said that European countries should be more actively responsible for their own security against the background of the US decision to withdraw 5,000 troops from the country's territory. This was said by German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius, commenting on the Pentagon's plans, writes Reuters.

It is a question of reducing part of the contingent, which now has about 36-40 thousand military in Germany. The decision was part of a review of the US military strategy and a broader redistribution of forces in the world," the agency specifies.

Pistorius emphasised that Germany is already moving towards independence from US military aid: the Bundeswehr is expanding, arms purchases are accelerating and the development of military infrastructure is intensifying.

The minister acknowledged that the presence of US troops in Germany and Europe is in the interests of both sides, but described the withdrawal of some forces as a "predictable step". He said Europe will need time to close existing gaps in defence capabilities.

Because of limited budgets and significant gaps in the region's military capabilities, it will take many years to meet its own security needs," he pointed out.

Pistorius noted that a key role in the future of European defence should be played by partners - the UK, France, Italy and Poland, whom he called the "Big Five" of European defence.

Against this backdrop, a broader restructuring of NATO's security system is also logical," he said.

Earlier this week, US President Donald Trump said that German Chancellor Friedrich Merz "thinks it's OK for Iran to have nuclear weapons," and added that the latter "doesn't know what he's talking about." The US president's statement came after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Monday that the Iranian leadership was humiliating the entire American people, and also once again criticised the US for its lack of strategy in the war. Against this backdrop, Trump threatened to reduce the number of US troops in Germany.