US Senator Roger Wicker and Representative Mike Rogers, the Republican chairmen of the Senate and House Armed Services Committees, have issued a joint statement opposing the administration’s decision to withdraw approximately 5,000 troops from Germany.
The lawmakers also criticized the cancellation of a planned Long-Range Fires Battalion deployment to the country.
Wicker and Rogers defended Germany’s recent efforts, noting that Berlin has significantly increased defense spending and provided “seamless access, basing, and overflight” for US forces during operations in Iran.
They argued that while European allies are moving toward a 5% GDP defense spending target, it will take more time for them to assume primary responsibility for conventional deterrence.
The chairmen warned that a premature reduction of US forward presence could undermine deterrence and send a dangerous signal to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Instead of a total withdrawal from the continent, they proposed moving the 5,000 service members to NATO’s eastern flank to strengthen the front line.
However, US President Donald Trump signaled that even deeper cuts are coming. Speaking to reporters in Palm Beach, the president stated that the final reduction in US military personnel in Germany would be “much larger than 5,000”.
This friction between the White House and Congress follows the Pentagon’s announcement that the withdrawal is a strategic reallocation of resources toward the Indo-Pacific and domestic zones.
While NATO officials have expressed confidence in the alliance’s collective deterrence, they emphasized that European nations must now assume a greater share of responsibility for shared security.
Despite the proposed cuts, Germany currently hosts more than 36,000 US troops, and critical facilities like Ramstein Air Base are expected to maintain normal operations.