The US is considering cutting troop numbers in Germany amid Trump’s Berlin standoff
U.S. Army Soldiers salute during a color transfer 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 | Getty Images News | Getty Images
The US is considering reducing the number of troops it has stationed in Germany, President Donald Trump said on Thursday, amid a growing row with Berlin over the Iran war.
“The United States is studying and reviewing possible troop reductions in Germany, with a decision to be made in the next short term,” Trump said on Truth Social on Thursday night.
The United States had more than 36,000 soldiers serving in the military in several key areas in Germany as of December 2025, according to data from the US Defense Manpower Data Center, representing the largest number in Europe.
Many soldiers and their families are based at Ramstein Air Base, which serves as a major logistics and command center for US military operations in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. A significant amount is also based at the Grafenwoehr Training Area, the largest training center for the US Army in Europe.
Analysts suggest that a German military withdrawal would be a major headache and ultimately damage US interests.
The president did not provide further details about the review, but any move to withdraw troops would be dangerous for NATO allies in Europe who value the US presence as a major deterrent to threats such as Russia.
Tit for tat
Trump’s comments come as relations with his German counterpart, Chancellor Friedrich Merz, look very good.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz speaks with US President Donald Trump before the start of the North Atlantic Council meeting at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in The Hague on June 25, 2025.
Ludovic Marin Via Reuters
The German leader lashed out at Washington earlier this week when he said the US was being “embarrassed” by the Iranian government over ongoing talks with White House officials to end the conflict.
Negotiations appear to have stalled as Trump reportedly rejected Iran’s offer to reopen the Strait of Hormuz if the US lifted its ongoing blockade of Iranian ports and ended the war, White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt confirmed on Monday.
The German leader said on Monday that the Iranians appeared to be giving American officials a chance to escape.
“The Iranians obviously have a great ability to negotiate, or rather, they have the ability not to negotiate, they allow the Americans to go to Islamabad and then leave again without any consequences,” Merz told university students on Monday.
“The whole nation is being humiliated by the Iranian leadership, especially by the so-called Revolutionary Guards. So I hope this will end as soon as possible,” Merz added, joining other European leaders who have called for an immediate resolution to the conflict that has caused oil prices and energy costs to explode.
Trump hit back at Merz’s comments, writing on Truth Social that Merz appeared to think “It’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about!”
“No wonder Germany is doing so badly, economically and otherwise!” Trump commented.
When asked about his relationship with Trump at a press conference on Wednesday, Merz said “the personal relationship between me and the president of the United States remains as good as ever.”
