US may withdraw its troops from Germany over defence spending, — media
U.S. President Donald Trump has once again raised the issue of NATO's role and the allies' contribution to defense spending.
According to Censor.NET, this is reported in an article by The Telegraph.
According to sources, Trump is considering a major overhaul of the alliance, as well as the possibility of withdrawing U.S. troops from Germany. The White House believes that allies must increase their defense spending; otherwise, their influence within NATO should be limited.
The idea of reforming NATO
According to sources interviewed by the publication, officials in Washington are discussing a proposal under which countries that spend less than 5% of their GDP on defense could lose their voting rights on strategic alliance matters.
"The frustration we feel toward the Europeans is very real. Any country that does not pay five percent should not have a say in matters concerning NATO's future spending," a U.S. government source said.
The current standard for alliance members requires spending of at least 2% of GDP. At the same time, Trump is insisting on a significant increase in this figure.
Among the issues where the influence of individual countries could be curtailed are NATO expansion, joint operations, and even the invocation of Article 5 on collective defense.
A withdrawal of troops from Germany is possible
A separate option under consideration involves the redeployment of approximately 35,000 U.S. troops from Germany to Hungary. One of the reasons cited is Berlin’s insufficient level of defense spending, which stood at about 2% of GDP in 2025.
- As a reminder, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte previously stated that alliance countries must present plans to reach the 5% of GDP spending target at the upcoming summit.
- Trump has also repeatedly criticized allies for their lack of participation in joint military initiatives and has stated that without the United States, the alliance would be a "paper tiger."
