Germany appeared to play down the reports of an expanded drawdown of U.S. troops from the country Saturday, amid an escalating dispute between President Donald Trump and Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Trump said Saturday that the U.S. will significantly reduce its troop presence in Germany as he seeks to scale back America’s commitment to European security.
Earlier Friday, the Pentagon had initially announced it would pull some 5,000 troops out of Germany, but when asked Saturday about the reason for the move, Trump didn't offer an explanation and said an even bigger reduction was coming.
"We’re going to cut way down. And we’re cutting a lot further than 5,000," Trump told reporters in Florida.
Earlier Saturday, Germany's Defense Minister Boris Pistorius appeared to take the news in stride.
