US President Donald Trump, who has criticised Germany and other NATO allies for not deploying their forces to help open the Strait of Hormuz, said on April 29 that his administration was considering reducing the number of US troops in Germany.
“The United States is studying and analysing the possibility of reducing the number of troops in Germany and a decision will be made soon,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social network.
Reuters, citing a senior White House official, reported earlier this month that Trump was discussing the possibility of withdrawing some US troops from Europe.
About 35,000 U.S. military personnel are based in Germany.
Trump has had a dispute with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over the Iran war in recent days. The US president sharply criticised the German chancellor on 28 April, a day after Merz said Iran was “humiliating” the United States in negotiations to end the war.
On 1 April, Trump told Reuters that he was “absolutely” considering withdrawing the United States from NATO because of the alliance’s lack of support for U.S. objectives in Iran. In an interview with British newspaper The Telegraph, he called the military alliance a “paper tiger” and said leaving NATO was “not to be rethought.”
The Wall Street Journal wrote that Trump is considering a plan to punish some NATO members who he believes failed to help U.S. and Israeli forces during the Iran war.
Citing unnamed administration officials, the WSJ said the proposals would include withdrawing U.S. troops from NATO members deemed useless to the war effort and basing them in countries that are more supportive of the U.S. military campaign.