Nato seeks to ‘understand the details’ of US decision to withdraw troops from Germany

Nato is seeking to “understand the details” of a US decision to withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany, a redeployment ordered by Donald Trump amid a feud with the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz.The German government sought to play down the severity of Trump’s move, describing it as “anticipated”, and a reminder of Europe’s need to invest in its own defence. The US withdrawal, which the Pentagon said would take place over the next six to 12 months, comes after criticism from Merz over Trump’s war with Iran and his handling of subsequent talks with Tehran.The chancellor said on Monday the US was being “humiliated” by Iran’s leaders. Trump quickly responded, saying Merz “doesn’t know what he’s talking about”, and soon after raised the possibility of troop withdrawals.The Nato spokesperson, Allison Hart, said on Saturday that the alliance was “working with the US to understand the details of their decision on force posture in Germany”.The remarks suggested the announcement of the withdrawal was a unilateral act, with little or no coordination with Washington’s European allies.“This adjustment underscores the need for Europe to continue to invest more in defence and take on a greater share of the responsibility for our shared security,” Hart