World

US troop drawback underlines European defence responsibility, German minister says

By Reuters Reuters
Soldiers stand next to a razor wire at a media day during the U.S. Army Combined Resolve exercise at the U.S. Army's southern Germany training facilities in Hohenfels, Germany, April 30, 2026. REUTERS/Angelika Warmuth
Soldiers stand next to a razor wire at a media day during the U.S. Army Combined Resolve exercise at the U.S. Army's southern Germany training facilities in Hohenfels, Germany, April 30, 2026. REUTERS/Angelika Warmuth Angelika Warmuth Reuters

BERLIN - Europeans must take greater responsibility for their own security, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said on Saturday in response to the announcement of plans to withdraw 5,000 U.S. troops from Germany.

"Germany is on the right track" in this regard, Pistorius said, pointing to the expansion of its Bundeswehr armed forces, greater and faster procurement of equipment and the construction of infrastructure.

"It was foreseeable that the U.S. would withdraw troops from Europe, including Germany," he said.

(Reporting by Sabine Siebold and Rachel More; editing by James Mackenzie)

Copyright Reuters or USA Today Network via Reuters Connect.

This story was originally published May 2, 2026 at 1:38 AM.

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