Soldiers of the U.S. Army’s V Corps salute during a color casing ceremony to commemorate V Corps headquarters’ departure from Europe at the U.S. Army base in Wiesbaden, Germany, May 10, 2012.
Ralph Orlowski | Getty Images News | Getty Images
President Donald Trump said Thursday that the United States is considering reducing the number of troops stationed in Germany, as the dispute with Berlin over the Iran war intensifies.
“The United States is studying and considering the possibility of reducing our military presence in Germany, and a decision will be made in the short term,” President Trump posted on the social media platform Truth Social on Thursday night.
As of December 2025, the United States has just over 36,000 active-duty military personnel at 20 bases in Germany, the largest in Europe, according to data from the U.S. Defense Manpower Data Center.
Many soldiers 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 Grevenwohr Training Range, the largest US Army training facility in Europe.
Analysts have suggested that the withdrawal of German troops would create a logistical headache and ultimately harm U.S. interests.
The president did not provide details of the review, but any move to withdraw troops would be a blow to NATO allies in Europe, which value the U.S. presence as a key deterrent against threats like Russia.
tit for tat
President Trump’s comments came as relations with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz appear to be deteriorating.
The German leader said earlier this week that the United States was being “humiliated” by the Iranian regime as a result of intermittent negotiations with White House officials to end the conflict, sparking a backlash from Washington.
Negotiations appear to have stalled after President Trump reportedly rejected an Iranian offer to reopen the Strait of Hormuz if the United States lifts the ongoing blockade of Iranian ports and ends the war, White House press secretary Caroline Levitt confirmed on Monday.
The German leader said on Monday that Iran appears to be letting U.S. officials get away with it.
“The Iranians are clearly very good at negotiating, or even very good at not negotiating, and they’re letting Americans travel to Islamabad and then leave again with no results,” Mertz told university students on Monday.
“The whole country has been humiliated by the Iranian leadership, especially by the so-called Revolutionary Guards. So I want this situation to end as soon as possible,” Merz added, echoing other European leaders who are calling for an early resolution to the conflict that has caused soaring oil and energy prices.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz speaks with US President Donald Trump before the start of the North Atlantic Council General Assembly at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Summit in The Hague on June 25, 2025.
Ludovic Marin | via Reuters
President Trump fired back at Mertz’s comments, with Mertz posting on Truth Social: “He seems to think it’s okay for Iran to have nuclear weapons. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about!”
“No wonder Germany is in such bad shape, economically and otherwise!” Trump commented.
Asked about his relationship with President Trump at a press conference Wednesday, Mertz said, “My personal relationship with the President of the United States is as good as ever.”
