The United States will slice its military presence in Germany by 11,900 troops as a “strategic” repositioning but President Donald Trump said that this was to punish Berlin for its weak defense spending.

US Defense Secretary Mark Esper said that the Pentagon will be calling back about 6,400 of its military personnel in Germany, and move nearly 5,600 to other NATO countries, including Italy and Belgium.

Esper emphasized that the action is part of his broader plan in order to reposition US military forces globally to better address key threats, including their combined stance with NATO against Russia.