Trump Threatened to Withdraw Some Troops from Germany After Merz's Criticism of the War in Iran
The US is exploring the possibility of reducing the number of its military contingent in Germany, Donald Trump announced. "A corresponding decision will be made in the near future," the head of the White House wrote on the social network Truth Social.
Photo: AP Photo / Alex Brandon
Germany hosts the largest contingent of American troops in Europe — over 36,000 people. In total, slightly more than 68,000 US military personnel are stationed at European bases.
Earlier, a high-ranking White House official told Reuters that Trump had discussed the possibility of withdrawing some American troops from Europe, but specific countries were not named.
Trump's statement about the possible withdrawal of the American contingent from Germany came after Friedrich Merz's criticism of the war against Iran. According to him, the military conflict has "large-scale consequences for Germany's economic viability." At the same time, Washington has no "exit strategy" from it, and during negotiations with Tehran, the American side is "humiliated."
In response, Trump wrote that the German Chancellor "does not understand what he is talking about" if he considers the emergence of nuclear weapons in Iran acceptable.
"I am now doing with respect to Iran what other countries or presidents should have done a long time ago. It's no surprise that Germany is doing so poorly economically and overall," the head of the White House noted.
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