Washington, 30 April 2026 (dpa/MIA) – US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday on his Truth Social platform that his administration was "studying and reviewing the possible reduction of Troops in Germany," with a decision to be made soon.

On Tuesday, Trump had slammed German Chancellor Friedrich Merz for criticizing US attacks on Iran. 

Merz "doesn’t know what he’s talking about," Trump wrote of the German leader on his Truth Social platform. It was no wonder "Germany is doing so badly, both economically and in other respects!" the US president added. 

Speaking in Berlin on Wednesday, Merz said that his relationship with Trump "remains – at least from my point of view – as good as ever." "We are still having constructive discussions with one another."

For decades, there have been dozens of large US military bases in Europe. In Germany, these include the US European Command (EUCOM) in Stuttgart and Ramstein Air Base in Rhineland-Palatinate, which serves as a hub for the US Air Force. 

Last year, an estimated 80,000 US soldiers were stationed in Europe.

Photo: MIA archive