President Donald Trump hinted that his administration is considering the possibility of reducing the US military presence in Germany.
The statement came after he criticized Germany and other NATO allies for not sending naval assets to help open the Strait of Hormuz.
According to a White House source, the proposed reduction also involves the possibility of moving some US troops from Europe. As of December 2025, the United States has more than 68,000 active duty military personnel stationed in Europe, with around 36,400 of them in Germany.
This figure is far lower than the approximately 250,000 troops stationed in the country in 1985 before the end of the Cold War.
Geopolitical tensions also increased when Trump reportedly disagreed with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over the Iran conflict.
Trump criticized Merz's remarks about the war talks, but the German leader insisted that relations between the two sides were still good despite their differences.
Merz had previously said that Iran had "embarrassed" the United States in talks to end the ongoing conflict.
There was no official confirmation from the US military about the reduction plan. The Pentagon and the German embassy have yet to provide further statements.
Trump has previously consistently criticized European countries for not increasing defense spending, although he welcomed the move by NATO members to increase spending to 5% of GDP.
