European leaders urged the continent to strengthen its own defenses Saturday after the Pentagon announced plans to remove roughly 5,000 American troops from Germany.

The decision followed comments from German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who said the United States had been “humiliated” by Iran. His remarks intensified tensions with Washington and came after weeks of frustration from President Donald Trump over what he sees as insufficient European support for the escalating conflict in the Middle East.

The move arrives amid widening disagreements between the United States and its European partners. Strains across the Atlantic have already been fueled by tariff disputes, pressure from Washington on Ukraine to negotiate concessions with Russia, and Trump’s earlier push to gain control of Greenland, a semiautonomous territory belonging to NATO member Denmark.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said the withdrawal had not come as a surprise.

“That the U.S. would withdraw troops from Europe and also from Germany was foreseeable,” he said Saturday.

Pistorius noted that close to 40,000 U.S. troops remain stationed in Germany, making it the largest American military presence in Europe and a critical logistical center for operations across the region.

“We Europeans must assume more responsibility for our security,” he added. “Germany is on the right track.”

According to Pistorius, Germany has already begun expanding its military capabilities by increasing procurement efforts, investing in innovation and strengthening infrastructure.

Trump has repeatedly criticized NATO members and several European governments, including Germany, for what he considers weak or nonexistent backing of his military campaign against Iran. He has also threatened to remove the United States from NATO altogether, while members of his administration have argued that alliances with European partners cannot continue as a “one-way street.”

Speaking to reporters Saturday evening at Palm Beach International Airport, Trump suggested the reduction could go beyond the planned withdrawal.

“We’re going to cut way down, and we’re cutting a lot further than 5,000,” the president said.

The announcement triggered a mix of concern and cautious realism across European capitals and within NATO headquarters in Brussels.

NATO spokesperson Allison Hart said alliance officials were coordinating with Washington to gain clarity on the troop reduction plans.

“This adjustment underscores the need for Europe to continue to invest more in defense and take on a greater share of the responsibility for our shared security,” she said.

Hart also pointed out that NATO members had already committed last year to spending 5% of their GDP on defense.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned that growing separation between Europe and the United States could have dangerous consequences.

“The greatest threat to the transatlantic community are not its external enemies, but the ongoing disintegration of our alliance,” Tusk wrote Saturday on X.

Poland, which borders the eastern flank of NATO and depends heavily on the alliance as a safeguard against Russian aggression tied to the war in neighboring Ukraine, has been especially sensitive to shifts in U.S. military policy.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has faced personal criticism from Trump over Britain’s limited support for the Iran conflict, stopped short of directly addressing the troop withdrawal during a BBC interview Saturday. Still, he acknowledged that Europe lacked sufficient strength and leadership.

“We need Britain at the heart of a stronger Europe on defense,” Starmer said, adding that he hoped relations with European neighbors could improve after years of tension linked to Brexit.

Michał Matlak, a senior fellow at the European University Institute and director of the Institute for Innovation and Technology in Warsaw, said the decision was consistent with a broader shift in trans-Atlantic relations.

“This is not a turning point, I’d say, but another step toward a trans-Atlantic divorce,” Matlak said.

He argued that removing 5,000 troops would not dramatically affect U.S. military operations or Europe’s overall security environment because of the large American presence that still remains on the continent. However, he said the decision would likely be viewed as “yet another warning sign.”

Former U.S. Ambassador to NATO Kurt Volker said the withdrawal appeared intended as a political message aimed at Germany rather than a major strategic military change.

Both Europe and the United States still benefit from maintaining a strong American military footprint in Germany, Volker said.

“We’re all going to live beyond the Trump era, and I hope that NATO lives beyond the Trump era as well,” he added.

American troops remain stationed across more than a dozen European countries, with Germany, Italy and Britain hosting the largest deployments. U.S. European Command coordinates military operations throughout the region in partnership with NATO allies.

The Pentagon announced Friday that the withdrawal process would unfold over the next six to twelve months. A defense measure approved by Congress last year prevents the Pentagon from reducing the overall number of U.S. troops in Europe below 76,000.

Matlak said European governments have increasingly recognized the need to rely less heavily on Washington for security, though disagreements remain over how that transition should happen.

“How strong should the separation be between the U.S. and Europe? What should be the role of European institutions? What should be the role of NATO? What should be the role of national armies? There are differences here, and that’s the critical issue, not the realization of the gravity of the situation and the need for Europe to rearm itself,” Matlak said.

“This is clear, and there is a consensus here, and obviously President Trump helped in getting there, because even most pro-Atlantic countries are now very reluctant and cautious when it comes to the role of the U.S.”

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