WASHINGTON, May 3 — Nato said yesterday it was working with the United States to understand Washington’s decision to withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany as a rift in transatlantic ties deepens over the Middle East war.
The Pentagon’s announcement of the troop withdrawal follows a spat between US President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who said on Monday that Iran was “humiliating” Washington at the negotiating table.
It also came as Trump announced that tariffs on cars and trucks from the European Union would jump from 15 per cent to 25 per cent next week, accusing the bloc of failing to comply with a trade deal signed last summer.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said Friday the withdrawal of around 5,000 troops from Germany was expected “to be completed over the next six to twelve months.”
Nato said yesterday it was “working with the US to understand the details of their decision on force posture in Germany.”
“This adjustment underscores the need for Europe to continue to invest more in defense and take on a greater share of the responsibility for our shared security,” Nato spokeswoman Allison Hart wrote on X.
There were 36,436 active-duty US troops in Nato ally Germany as of December 31, 2025, compared to 12,662 in Italy and 3,814 in Spain.
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said yesterday the US troop withdrawal “from Europe and also from Germany was to be expected.”
Republican concern
The decision is being met with skepticism by top Republican lawmakers who oversee US military policy.
In a joint statement yesterday, Senator Roger Wicker and Representative Mike Rogers, chairs of the Armed Services Committees in their respective chambers, warned that pulling troops from Germany risks “sending the wrong signal to Vladimir Putin.”
Even though European allies are boosting defense spending, “translating that investment into the military capability needed to assume primary responsibility for conventional deterrence will take time,” they said.
The duo noted that Germany had heeded Trump’s calls for greater spending on defense and that it had allowed American planes to use German bases and airspace during the ongoing conflict with Iran.
‘Why shouldn’t I?’
Trump has threatened to slash US troop numbers in Germany and other European allies during both his White House terms, saying he wants Europe to take on greater responsibility for its defense rather than depending on Washington.
He now appears determined to punish allies who have failed to back the Middle East war or contribute to a peacekeeping force in the crucial Strait of Hormuz waterway, which Tehran’s forces have effectively closed.
Trump said on Thursday he might pull US troops from Italy and Spain due to their opposition to the Iran war.
“Italy has not been of any help to us and Spain has been horrible, absolutely horrible,” he told reporters.
“Yeah, probably, I probably will. Why shouldn’t I?” Trump said.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Thursday that Berlin was “prepared” for a reduction in US troops and “discussing it closely and in a spirit of trust in all NATO bodies.”
However, Wadephul said large American bases in Germany are “not up for discussion at all” and cited the example of Ramstein Air Base, which he said has “an irreplaceable function for the United States and for us alike.” — AFP
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In the small, remote Romanian village of Vacareni, nestled on the banks of the Danube and a mere 50 meters south of the border with occupied Ukraine, the calm you see in the day is merely an illusion. Houses with roofs painted in different colors — some of them rusted metal sheets — and neatly kept vegetable gardens dotting the valley project a sense of quiet. But at night, the buzz of drones and the echo of their explosions remind the village’s 1,400 residents that they are direct witnesses to Russia’s offensive in neighboring Ukraine — an invasion they describe as a “disgrace” and one that has intensified in recent weeks.
© Raúl Sánchez Costa
Hong Kong photographer Gareth Brown has spent the past 19 years working on a personal project called “Bodies in Motion, Bodies at Rest” – using dance to showcase the city’s unique spots.
For what he called a “very personal passion project,” he photographed ballerinas, contemporary and traditional dancers, as well as artistic swimmers and aerialists, against the backdrop of heritage buildings, natural landscapes, and modern infrastructure.
“Over the years, I’ve kept the works mostly to myself, dance and heritage friends,” said Brown, who is originally from the UK.
Having amassed a large collection, “I’m attempting to bring it to the attention of a wider audience.”
The photographer said he usually found locations of interest – “culturally, historically, or they just look good” – and then chose dancers who best fitted the spot.
For example, at a river pool in Sheung Luk Stream, Sai Kung, he worked with members of the Hong Kong artistic swim team. At an abandoned Gurkha Hindu temple in Burma Lines, he collaborated with traditional dancers from the Nepalese community. An aerialist posed at a wall tree of the former Tung Chi College on Ship Street, which has since been demolished.
“If nothing else, the project is an interesting historical record of the [Hong Kong] dance industry, as well as locations that no longer exist or probably won’t exist for much longer,” Brown said.
The project gave him the chance to work with some of the city’s prominent dancers, such as Hong Kong Ballet principal dancer Yang Ruiqi, former Hong Kong Dance Company principal dancer Laura Pan, and dancer-choreographer Abby Chan.
“I’ve been very lucky,” the photographer said of the collaborations.
At the heels of Brown’s solo exhibition at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club last year and another show at the Hong Kong Dance Awards ceremony last week, “Bodies in Motion, Bodies at Rest” is currently on display at The Corner Shop, a small gallery in Tsim Sha Tsui managed by the hotel Mondrian Hong Kong.
The exhibition will run until May 17.
Photographs of four emaciated soldiers have shocked Ukraine. Ukrainian soldiers returning home in prisoner exchanges, after years in Russian jails, also show deplorable physical condition. The treatment they receive violates the minimum standards of respect stipulated by the Geneva Convention for prisoners of war. But these four men had not been mistreated by the enemy: their commanders had abandoned them, without the most basic resources, on the front lines.
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