U.S. weighs 'reduction' of troops in Germany as Trump's feud with Berlin deepens

Soldiers of the U.S. Army V Corps salute during a color casing ceremony to mark the departure of V Corps headquarters from Europe on May 10, 2012 at the U.S. Army base in Wiesbaden, Germany. Ralph Orlowski | News | The U.S. is considering reducing the number of troops it has stationed in Germany, President Donald Trump said Thursday, amid a growing dispute with Berlin over the Iran war. "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 posted on social media platform Truth Social overnight Thursday. The U.S. had just over 36,000 active-duty military personnel across 20 bases in Germany as of December 2025, according to data from the U.S. Defense Manpower Data Center, representing the largest such contingent in Europe. Many troops and their families are based at Ramstein Air Base, which serves as a major transportation hub and command center for U.S. military operations in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. A significant number are also based at the Grafenwoehr Training Area, the largest U.S. Army training facility in Europe. Analysts suggest a withdrawal of troops in Germany would be a logistical headache and ultimately damage U.S. interests . The president gave no further details on the review, but any move to withdraw forces would be a blow to NATO allies in Europe who value the U.S. presence as a major deterrent against threats like Russia. …