Trump Eyes Troop Reduction in Germany Amid NATO, Iran War Tensions
President criticizes German chancellor, calls NATO 'cowards' over refusal to support Strait of Hormuz operations
Quick Look
- Trump said the U.S. is considering reducing troops in Germany, with a decision coming soon.
- The announcement follows escalating tensions with NATO allies over their refusal to support U.S. military operations in Iran, with Trump publicly criticizing German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and labeling the alliance as 'cowards' for their lack of naval assistance in the Strait of Hormuz conflict.
AI-generated summary
By Song Sang-ho
WASHINGTON, April 29 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday the United States is weighing a possible reduction of American troops in Germany, with a decision to be made over "the next short period of time," after he decried European allies over a lack of support for the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran.
Trump made the remarks in a social media post following a recent report by The Wall Street Journal that his administration is considering punishing some members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) that he perceives as unhelpful to the United States during the war in Iran.
"The United States is studying and reviewing the possible reduction of Troops in Germany, with a determination to be made over the next short period of time," he wrote on Truth Social.
More than 36,000 U.S. troops are known to be stationed in Germany.
Trump's social media post came after signs of tension with Germany over the Iran war emerged. During a meeting with students Monday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz reportedly said that the Iranian leadership is in the process of "humiliating" the U.S. and that Washington does not appear to have a convincing strategy in the negotiations with Tehran.
After Merz's comment, Trump hit back, claiming on Truth Social that the German chancellor thought it was "OK" for Iran to have a nuclear weapon and that he "doesn't know what he's talking about."
In the midst of the war against the Islamic Republic, Trump repeatedly criticized NATO members for having not acceded to his call for naval assistance to help secure the crucial Strait of Hormuz that Iran has effectively blocked with retaliatory missile and drone strikes.
Trump called NATO "cowards," saying the U.S. will "remember" its members' reluctance to support the U.S. military campaign against Iran.
He has also rebuked South Korea for being "not helpful" to the U.S., noting that America has put its troops "in harm's way" in the Asian country "right next to" North Korea's "nuclear force."
Some 28,500 U.S. troops are stationed in South Korea as a key element of deterrence against growing North Korean threats. Seoul and Washington have been working on "modernizing" the bilateral alliance, which analysts say could lead to an adjustment in the U.S. force posture on the Korean Peninsula.
