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Trump says US to cut troop presence in Germany 'a lot further than 5,000'
President Donald Trump warns that the United States plans to reduce its military footprint in Germany by "a lot further than 5,000 troops".
Trump says US to cut troop presence in Germany 'a lot further than 5,000'
Trump signals larger troop reduction in Europe / AP

​​​​​​​US President Donald Trump has said that the United States plans to reduce its troop presence by "a lot further than 5,000 troops" following a decision to scale back forces in Germany.

"We're going to cut way down, and we're cutting a lot further than 5,000," Trump told reporters in the US state of Florida on Saturday when asked about the move to withdraw troops from Europe.

The Pentagon announced the reduction in Germany, the largest US military hub in Europe, on Friday.

Disagreements regarding the Iran war and tariffs have deepened tensions between Washington and its European allies.

The US defence chief has ordered the withdrawal of approximately 5,000 troops from Germany, a Pentagon spokesman said Friday.

RelatedTRT World - US to withdraw about 5,000 troops from Germany amid rift over Iran war

The move follows remarks by Trump indicating that Washington was reviewing its military footprint in the country.

His comments came after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz criticised the US for lacking a clear exit strategy in the Iran war, arguing that Americans were being "humiliated" by the Iranian leadership during negotiations.

Meanwhile, the chairs of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees have voiced concern about the decision.

"We are very concerned by the decision to withdraw a US brigade from Germany," Senator Roger Wicker and Representative Mike Rogers said in a statement Saturday.

RelatedTRT World - Merz softens Trump clash, warns Iran war is hurting Europe
SOURCE:TRT World & Agencies