Germany in May 2026: the most important developments in security
Germany's security agenda in May 2026 was dominated by the announced reduction of US forces in the country. On May 1 the United States said it would cut its troop presence in Germany by 5,000, and the Pentagon confirmed the withdrawal order. On May 3 President Trump said the reduction would be significantly larger. The announcements came amid tension between Trump and Chancellor Friedrich Merz and disagreement over Iran. Defence Minister Boris Pistorius called the withdrawal foreseeable, while the German defence ministry said there had been no definitive cancellation of US weapons deployment. Merz said Germany would not receive Tomahawk missiles anytime soon and that NATO deterrence remained secure. Mid-month, AP sources reported that the Pentagon had halted deployments to Poland and Germany. At month end the German military chief was still asking for clarity on US troop levels.
Germany also expanded its own forces. The Bundeswehr began setting up conscription centres in 24 cities, and the defence ministry announced mandatory drills for former soldiers. Germany sent a Patriot unit to Turkey, began forming a tank brigade in Lithuania and signalled readiness to join a mission to secure the Strait of Hormuz. Pistorius made an unannounced visit to Kyiv on May 11, and Germany and Ukraine said they would build weapons systems jointly. Merz called for a stronger NATO eastern flank after a drone crash in Romania, and flights at Munich Airport were paused on May 30 after a possible drone sighting.
Internal security produced several serious cases. Two people were killed when a car drove into a crowd in central Leipzig on May 4. On May 11 police in Hamburg arrested a 17-year-old on suspicion of preparing a bomb attack. On May 21 prosecutors in Hamburg charged an alleged member of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps with planning an attack on a Jewish community leader. A suspect was arrested after a knife attack at the Berlin Holocaust Memorial. On May 27 Daniela Klette, a suspected former member of the Red Army Faction, was sentenced to 13 years in prison for armed robberies.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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