U.S. pullback from Germany… The United States plans to withdraw around five thousand troops from Germany by six months to a year from now, a Pentagon spokesperson said Friday. The Pentagon said the move would return troop levels to their pre-Ukraine war levels. Washington will also walk back plans to deploy new long-range weapons in Germany, an unnamed Pentagon official told the Financial Times. The move follows Germany’s refusal to join offensive U.S. military operations in Iran and aligns with the Trump administration’s push for Europe to take more responsibility for its own defense.
…and allies’ response. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and NATO both said the Pentagon announcement underscored the importance of greater defense spending among European countries. Pistorius called the move “foreseeable” but said that retaining U.S. troops in Germany was in both countries’ interests. NATO said it was working to “understand the details” of the announcement.
Trump’s tariffs on EU cars. The United States will apply a 25 percent tariff on European Union (EU) car and truck imports, Trump wrote on social media Friday, claiming Brussels was violating its 2025 trade agreement with Washington without specifying how. That deal set a 15 percent U.S. tariff rate for European imports. The European Commission said it was seeking “clarity” about the move, abiding by its commitments, and would “keep our options open to protect EU interests.”
China spurns U.S. sanctions. Beijing will not comply with recently announced U.S. sanctions on five Chinese companies that purchase Iranian oil, China’s commerce ministry said Saturday. It argued the sanctions were illegal and targeted normal economic activities. Washington justified them by saying Iran’s oil sector funds its army and terrorist partners. Trump is expected to visit China later this month.
Spirit Airlines closure. The low-cost U.S. airline announced Saturday it was shutting down, citing the recent spike in jet fuel costs and previous financial difficulties. It is the first major U.S. airline to go out of business due to financial strains in twenty-five years. Talks with the Trump administration about a potential bailout fell through last week.
Iranian Nobel winner hospitalized. The Norwegian Nobel Committee called yesterday for Iranian authorities to transfer 2023 peace prize winner Narges Mohammadi to her medical team in Tehran, warning her life was in danger. Authorities brought Mohammadi to a local hospital Friday after she lost consciousness in prison. Mohammadi was jailed in December after criticizing the government.
Mexican officials step down. A governor and a mayor from the northwestern state of Sinaloa announced temporary leaves of absence after being indicted by the United States on drug trafficking charges. Both denied the allegations. Their departures from their posts mean they are no longer immune from prosecution under Mexican law.
Lai in Eswatini. Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te arrived in the country Saturday via an Eswatini government aircraft, weeks after his initial trip was canceled due to Beijing reportedly pressuring nearby countries to deny him overflight rights. Eswatini is the only African country that formally recognizes Taiwan. Taiwan “will never be deterred by external pressures,” Lai wrote on social media.
