President Donald Trump has said over the past 48 hours that he is considering withdrawing U.S. troops from Germany, Italy and Spain, amid heightened tensions with European countries over criticism of his handling of the war with Iran.
Earlier this week, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the United States was “humiliated” by Iran in the ongoing war, adding that the Trump administration had no “truly convincing strategy” to end the conflict.
“It’s costing us a lot of money. This conflict, this war with Iran, has a direct impact on our economic output,” Merz told students in the German town of Marsberg on Monday.
On Tuesday, President Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that Mertz “thinks it’s okay for Iran to have nuclear weapons. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about!”
The next day, President Trump continued with the following post on Truth Social: “The United States is studying and considering the possibility of reducing the number of troops stationed in Germany, and plans to make a decision in the short term.”
Asked Thursday if he would consider withdrawing U.S. troops from Italy and Spain, which are also critical of the Iran war, Trump said, “Maybe…look, why shouldn’t we? Italy is no good to us and Spain is terrible, just terrible.”
On April 10, Reuters reported, citing unnamed White House officials, that President Trump had discussed with his advisers whether to withdraw some U.S. troops from Europe.
Germany, Italy and Spain host a combined total of about 53,000 U.S. troops.
How many troops does America have in Europe?
As of December 2025, the United States had approximately 68,064 active-duty military personnel in Europe, according to data from the Department of Defense’s Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC).
Where are these US troops in Europe?
The military is spread across 31 permanent bases and 19 military installations across Europe.
U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) coordinates U.S. military operations in Europe with NATO allies and is comprised of six military commands: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Special Operations Command, and the new Space Force.
Germany
The largest US military base in Europe is Ramstein Air Base in Germany, where troops have been stationed since 1952. According to DMDC data, as of December 2025, 36,436 active duty military personnel were stationed in five military posts in Germany.
England
As of December last year, the U.S. Forces in the UK consisted of 10,156 military personnel stationed at three bases, mainly airmen.
Italy
U.S. military personnel have been stationed in Italy since World War II and are comprised of the Army, Navy, and Air Force branches. According to DMDC data, at the end of 2025 Italy hosted 12,662 active-duty soldiers at bases in Vicenza, Aviano, Naples and Sicily.
Spain
The country has US naval and air force bases near the Strait of Gibraltar. According to DMDC data, as of December 2025, 3,814 personnel were permanently located in Spain.
Poland
Poland is home to 369 permanent active-duty military personnel, as well as about 10,000 rotational force personnel funded through the European Deterrence Initiative, a U.S. plan to strengthen NATO’s eastern flank facing Russia, according to DMDC and Congressional Research Service data. Personnel are stationed at four bases.
Romania
Like Poland and other former communist countries, Romania has 153 permanent U.S. troops, plus a rotating U.S. military presence, according to DMDC and the Congressional Research Service. Bases accessible to the United States include Mikhail Kogalniceanu Air Base, Camp Turtsii, and Devessel.
Hungary
The United States conducts rotational deployments and exercise missions in Hungary. In December, the DMDC announced that the Hungarian military had accepted 77 military personnel permanently stationed at two bases in Kecskemet and Papa Eyre.
Who decides how many troops America keeps in Europe?
Typically, the president and the Department of Defense decide how many troops the United States will base in European countries.
But Congress has a role to play and can use legislation and controls to prevent or complicate large-scale withdrawals.
During his first term in 2020, President Trump slammed Berlin over low defense spending and support for the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, and threatened to withdraw about 12,000 U.S. troops from Germany. But Congress rebelled and former US President Joe Biden reversed the decision.
Additionally, the National Defense Authorization Act of 2026 (NDAA), passed by the Senate last year, includes a provision that prohibits permanent reductions in U.S. military strength in Europe below 75,000 troops.
Why is President Trump threatening to withdraw US troops from Europe?
President Trump’s latest threats come against the backdrop of recent tensions over the Iran war.
The war between the United States and Israel against Iran began on February 28 and remains unresolved. The Strait of Hormuz is effectively blocked by competing Iranian regulations and a U.S. blockade, severely disrupting shipping and hurting the global economy.
President Trump slammed the leaders of European countries who did not support the United States in the war.
President Trump has continued to publicly criticize British Prime Minister Keir Starmer over his stance on the war against Iran, accusing him of not supporting the United States in the fight and of not cooperating with the United States in reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Days after the war began, and after Mr Starmer initially refused to allow US forces to use British military bases to attack Iran, President Trump described the British leader as “no Winston Churchill”.
President Trump also slammed Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, once his favorite European leader, after she criticized the Iran war.
Last year, U.S. tariffs, President Trump’s push to acquire Greenland, and cuts in U.S. aid to Ukraine also greatly destabilized transatlantic relations.
Who do these bases serve?
The U.S. military presence in Europe dates back to World War II.
By the beginning of the Cold War, military presence had diminished and the US mission shifted to strengthening Europe’s defenses against the Soviet Union.
But the bases not only served to protect Europe’s security, they were also important to American military and foreign policy goals beyond Europe.
These bases are major logistics hubs for the United States. They have allowed the US to start wars in the Middle East, including Iraq, Afghanistan, and now Iran.
To support the base, host countries typically provide rent-free land and local staff who are paid by the host government. In this way, the host country would bear a portion of the total cost of stationing U.S. forces on its territory.
Landstuhl Regional Medical Center (LRMC), located minutes from Ramstein Base, Germany, is the largest U.S. hospital outside the United States. It serves as the primary evacuation and treatment center for the U.S. military in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
