“Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the withdrawal of about 5,000 US troops from Germany over the next 12 months.”

PentagonStatementMay 1, 2026Read the original

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell announced the drawdown.

Our verdict

True

Hegseth ordered about 5,000 troops out of Germany, to be completed over six to 12 months.

What we found

The Pentagon said the drawdown would be done within six to 12 months, after a public row between Trump and Chancellor Merz. 'Over the next 12 months' is a fair summary.

The evidence

2 of 2 sources support the claim; none contradict it.

Contradict 0Support 2Background 0

Supports the claim
Hegseth orders 5,000 US troops to withdraw from Germany. [1]
Supports the claim
The US will withdraw about 5,000 troops from Germany. [2]

How we checked

We checked the claim against Asharq Al-Awsat, Breaking Defense. We reviewed 2 relevant sources.

Sources

[1]Breaking Defense · Hegseth orders 5,000 US troops to withdraw from Germany
[2]Asharq Al-Awsat · US to withdraw about 5,000 troops from Germany

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