German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius expressed concern over the expected US decision not to deploy long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles to Germany.
If the missiles are not deployed, it would be “very unfortunate and would be detrimental to us,” Pistorius said in an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF, adding that Europe’s “capability gap” in this regard would widen.
At the same time, the planned withdrawal of approximately 5,000 US troops from Germany “does not truly reduce deterrence,” Pistorius noted.
“This fact in itself should not come as a surprise to anyone in Europe,” he noted.
Pistorius added that the Tomahawk issue worries him more than the troop reduction.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz told public broadcaster ARD over the weekend that he no longer expects the deployment of US Tomahawk missiles in Germany, as promised by then-US President Joe Biden in 2024.
“As I see it now, objectively speaking, it’s unlikely that the US could deploy such weapons systems,” Merz said.
The US government has not yet publicly commented on the matter.
It was previously reported that the US Department of Defense announced on Friday that 5,000 American troops would be withdrawn from Germany over the next six to 12 months. Subsequently, US President Donald Trump threatened to reduce the number of US troops in Germany much more significantly.
US Army data shows that approximately 86,000 American troops were stationed in Europe in April, of which approximately 39,000 were in Germany. This number fluctuates regularly, including due to rotations and military exercises.
