US President Donald Trump has ordered the Pentagon to slash the number of troops it maintains in Germany by more than a quarter in the coming months, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday.

The newspaper said the Defense Department would cut the number of military personnel by 9,500 from the current 34,500 permanently assigned to Germany postings.

The Journal also said a cap of 25,000 would be set on how many US troops could be inside German at any one time, whether in permanent postings or temporary rotations, half of the current allowance.

The move would significantly reduce the US commitment to European defense under the NATO umbrella, though it could also impact Pentagon operations related to Africa and the Middle East.

White House and Pentagon officials declined to confirm or deny the story, which comes amid tensions between the Trump administration and European allies over longstanding cooperation agreements.

Washington in particular does not think Germany spends enough for its own defense.

John Ullyot, a spokesman for the White House National Security Council, said in a statement that as commander in chief, Trump is always reassessing the presence of US forces overseas.

"The United States remains committed to working with our strong ally Germany to ensure our mutual defense, as well as on many other important issues," Ullyot said.

Conservatives criticize plan to withdraw U.S. troops from Germany
Washington DC (UPI) Jun 05, 2020 - Conservative German and American leaders have criticized President Donald Trump's proposed plan to remove about one-third of U.S. troops currently stationed in Germany.

On Friday multiple outlets quoting an anonymous senior defense official reported that Trump has ordered the Pentagon to withdraw 9,500 of the 34,500 troops permanently assigned to Germany as part of a longstanding arrangement between the two countries.

In Germany, left-leaning politicians welcomed the proposed drawdown while conservative leaders described it as a wake-up call.

"The federal government should accept it with gratitude and promptly start preparing the complete withdrawal of US soldiers with the Trump administration," said Dietmar Bartsch, leader of the parliamentary group of the leftwing party Die Linke.

"It would have the collateral benefit of saving taxpayers billions, because there would not longer be a need to acquire new fighter jets."

Johann Wadephul, the deputy chair of the parliamentary group of Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union, said the Trump administration is neglecting "an elementary task of leadership."

"Everyone profits from the alliance sticking together, only Russia and China profit from discord. Washington should pay more attention to that."

The plan has also met with domestic criticism.

"This is a dangerously misguided policy. If the United States abandons allies, withdraws our forces, and retreats within our borders, the cause of freedom-on which our nation was founded & our security depends-will be in peril," Rep. Liz Cheney (D-Wyo.), tweeted Saturday.

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