US Drawdown in Germany Reflects a Pivot to Asia Years in the Making, Experts Say

President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz meet in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington on March 3, 2026. Jonathan Ernst//ReutersThe Pentagon’s May 1 announcement that it would withdraw 5,000 U.S. troops from Germany fits a longer pattern of U.S. force repositioning, experts told The Epoch Times.The decision came days after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz declared that the United States had “no strategy” in the war against Iran and that Tehran was “humiliating” Washington.A Decision With AntecedentsPentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the drawdown would be completed within six to 12 months and followed a review of U.S. force posture in Europe.