President Donald Trump said the United States is reviewing whether to reduce the number of American troops stationed in Germany, raising fresh questions about Washington’s military posture in Europe and its relationship with NATO allies.
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In a message posted on Truth Social on Wednesday, Donald Trump said the administration was examining the possibility of scaling back forces.
“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,” he wrote.
Background to U.S. presence in Germany
The United States has maintained a large military presence in Germany since the aftermath of World War II and throughout the Cold War. According to figures from the United States Department of Defense, more than 36,000 active-duty American troops were stationed across German bases as of December last year.
In addition to those personnel, roughly 1,500 reservists and about 11,500 civilian employees are also based there. Among foreign countries hosting U.S. forces, only Japan has a larger American troop presence.
Germany hosts several key facilities central to U.S. military operations. The country is home to the headquarters of United States European Command and United States Africa Command, while Ramstein Air Base functions as a major logistics and operational hub.
Tensions over Iran and NATO
The announcement comes amid growing friction between Washington and some European governments over the conflict involving Iran. Several European leaders have been reluctant to support the U.S. approach to the crisis.
Mr Trump has voiced frustration with allies who have distanced themselves from the conflict and has criticised NATO for not joining the war effort, once describing the alliance as a “paper tiger”. A law passed in 2023 prevents a U.S. president from withdrawing from NATO without approval from Congress.
Relations with Berlin have also been strained following remarks by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Earlier this week, he criticised the U.S. handling of the conflict with Iran, saying Washington appeared to lack a clear strategy and suggesting American negotiators were being “humiliated” by their Iranian counterparts.
In response, Mr Trump accused the German leader of misunderstanding the issue and suggested he was tolerant of Iran obtaining nuclear weapons.
“No wonder Germany is doing so poorly, both Economically, and otherwise,” the president wrote on social media.
Despite the exchange, Mr Merz told reporters shortly before the troop reduction proposal was raised that he maintained a good relationship with the U.S. president.
Previous disputes over defence spending
Mr Trump’s criticism of NATO predates the current dispute. During both his presidential campaigns and his time in office, he has repeatedly accused member states of failing to meet defence spending commitments and relying too heavily on the United States for security.
In 2020, during the final year of his first administration, he announced plans to withdraw about 12,000 U.S. troops from Germany, arguing that Berlin had not contributed enough to defence spending. The proposal faced opposition from lawmakers in both parties and was later reversed by his successor, Joe Biden.
More recently, in a smaller adjustment last autumn, U.S. officials said about 700 troops deployed across Germany, Romania and Poland would return to the United States.
U.S. Army Europe and Africa said at the time that the move was part of a broader effort to maintain a balanced military presence and did not represent a withdrawal from Europe or a reduced commitment to NATO.
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Adapted by ASEAN Now. Source 1 May 2026
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