Caught Off Guard: Stunned EU Leaders React to Trump’s Troop Reduction in Germany
5th May 2026
European officials have expressed dismay, disappointment, and surprise in the wake of the weekend announcement by the Trump administration that the US will be withdrawing some 5,000 troops from Germany over the coming months.
“There has been talk about withdrawing US troops from Europe for a long time. But of course, the timing of this announcement comes as a surprise,” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas expressed on the sidelines of the European Political Community meeting in Yerevan, Armenia on Monday.
And the gravy train starts creaking to a halt.