Trump Considers Reducing US Troop Presence in Germany

US President Donald Trump said his administration is considering reducing the number of US troops stationed in Germany, amid renewed tensions with European allies.

“The United States is studying and reviewing the possible reduction of Troops in Germany, with a determination to be made over the next short period of time”, Trump wrote on Truth Social.

The remarks came after he criticized Germany and other NATO allies for failing to support efforts to secure the Strait of Hormuz. A senior White House official had earlier told Reuters that Trump had already discussed the possibility of withdrawing some US forces from Europe this month.

The United States had just over 68,000 active-duty personnel permanently stationed at bases across Europe as of December 2025, according to data from the Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC). More than half, about 36,400, are based in Germany. That is a sharp decline from around 250,000 troops stationed there in 1985, before the end of the Cold War.

Tensions between Washington and Berlin have also escalated in recent days over the war in Iran. Trump said German Chancellor Friedrich Merz “didn’t know what he was talking about” after the German leader accused Iran of humiliating the United States in negotiations. Merz later said relations remained good despite the dispute.

The issue surfaced again after Germany’s top general, Carsten Breuer, met US defense officials in Washington to discuss Berlin’s new military strategy. Breuer gave no indication that a reduction of US troops had been discussed during the talks.

Trump has long criticized Germany and other European countries for failing to increase defense spending, even as US and German military officials say their working relationship remains stable.

(reuters, max)