In recent developments, U.S.
President Donald Trump, who has been in a heated exchange with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, announced on Thursday that his administration is contemplating a reduction in the number of U.S.
troops stationed in Germany.
President Trump has voiced criticism towards Germany and other NATO countries for their reluctance to deploy naval forces to assist in reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
This strategic waterway remains a focal point of tension as the ongoing conflict involving the U.S.
and Israel against Iran continues to disrupt global oil supplies.
“The United States is evaluating and reviewing the potential drawdown of troops in Germany, with a decision expected to be reached shortly,” Trump shared on Truth Social.
Earlier this month, a senior official from the White House informed Reuters that President Trump had been considering the withdrawal of some U.S.
military forces from Europe.
According to data from the U.S.
Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC), there were slightly over 68,000 active-duty military personnel stationed permanently at U.S.
bases in Europe as of December 2025.
Of these, more than 36,400 service members are based in Germany.
This is a significant decrease from the approximately 250,000 U.S.
troops that were stationed there in 1985, prior to the fall of the Berlin Wall and the conclusion of the Cold War.
Trump and Merz’s war of words Trump has lashed out at Merz over the war in Iran in recent days.
Earlier this week, Merz had said Iran’s leadership was humiliating the US in talks to end the two-month-old war, and that he did not see what exit strategy the Trump administration was pursuing.
The following day, Trump wrote on Truth Social: “The Chancellor of Germany, Friedrich Merz, thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon.
He doesn’t know what he’s talking about! If Iran had a Nuclear Weapon, the whole World would be held hostage.
I am doing something with Iran, right now, that other Nations, or Presidents, should have done long ago.
No wonder Germany is....
