WASHINGTON, United States (AP) — Spurred on by President Donald Trump’s demand to pull troops out of Germany, the US will bring about 6,400 forces home and shift about 5,600 to other countries in Europe, US defence leaders said Wednesday, detailing a Pentagon plan that will cost billions of dollars and take years to complete.

The decision fulfils Trump’s announced desire to withdraw troops from Germany, largely due to its failure to spend enough on defence. A number of forces will go to Italy, and a major move would shift US European Command headquarters and Special Operations Command Europe from Stuttgart, Germany, to Belgium.

Defence Secretary Mark Esper said some moves will begin in months and will leave about 24,000 troops in Germany. He said that while the decision was “accelerated” by Trump’s orders, the moves also promote larger strategic goals to deter Russia, reassure European allies and shift forces further east into the Black Sea and Baltic regions.

Trump, however, reasserted his very narrow reason Wednesday, telling reporters, “We’re reducing the force because they’re not paying their bills. It’s very simple. They’re delinquent.” He added that he might rethink the decision to pull troops out of Germany “if they start paying their bills”.

Trump has repeatedly accused Germany of failing to pay bills, which is a misstatement of the issue. NATO nations have pledged to dedicate two per cent of their gross domestic product to defence spending by 2024, and Germany is still short of that goal, at about 1.4 per cent.