US President Donald Trump has said he may withdraw some US troops from Germany amid a public dispute with Chancellor Friedrich Merz about the war in Iran.
“The United States is studying and evaluating the possibility of a reduction of troops in Germany, with the intention of doing so in the near future,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Wednesday.
In 2020, near the end of his first term in office, Trump planned to withdraw about 12,000 of the approximately 36,000 members serving in Germany at the time. Former President Joe Biden later sent additional troops to Germany, citing the Ukraine conflict as an example.
More than 36,000 active duty troops and 1,500 reservists are currently stationed in Germany, according to CBS.
Trump has criticized European allies for refusing to support the US war with Israel and Iran and refusing to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran closed. “hostility” Shipping in February. The dispute has also prompted the president to revive his long-standing criticism of NATO, which he described this month as “Paper tiger.”
Speaking to students at a German school on Monday, Merz claimed that the United States was “humiliated” and Iran and that the Trump administration lacked a clear strategy in the conflict. He also stressed that Germany is greatly affected by the increase in energy prices caused by the war.
Trump responded by slamming Merz on social media. “He doesn’t know what he’s talking about!” Trump wrote on Social Reality, adding: “No wonder Germany is doing so badly, economically and otherwise!”
Merz sought to downplay the controversy on Wednesday, citing his personal relationship with the US president “It remains beautiful.”
“I had doubts from the beginning about what started with the war in Iran. That’s why I made it clear,” Merz said, as quoted by Reuters.
Meanwhile, oil prices rose above $120 on Wednesday, the highest level since 2022, and uncertainty continues over the prospects for US-Iran talks.
You can share this story on social networks:
Follow RT on
