President Donald Trump ordered the withdrawal of at least 5,000 US troops from Germany, implying a 7% cut in his troops in Europe. This is one of the most notable steps in Washington's distancing from NATO. How many troops does the US have in Europe and how are they distributed? What will be the consequences for both parties of the withdrawal announced by Trump? We address it.
First modification: 05/04/2026 - 20:20 Last modification: 05/04/2026 - 20:28
The president of the United States, Donald Trump, dealt a new blow to NATO and its European allies by ordering the withdrawal of more than 5,000 American soldiers in Germany on Friday, in the midst of accusations with that country's chancellor, Friedrich Merz.
This is how US troops are distributed in Europe
Europe hosts about 40% of US troops deployed around the world. After Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom are the countries of the Old Continent with the largest presence of soldiers from the other side of the Atlantic, all supervised by the United States Command in Europe (USEUCOM), based in Stuttgart (Germany).
Created in 1947, USEUCOM is one of 11 combat organs within the US Department of Defense, covering some 50 countries and territories. The institution operates through six components: the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Special Operations Forces and the newly created Space Force. These bodies have their headquarters in Germany and Italy.
🇩🇪 Germany
It is Washington's main military collaborator in Europe, as demonstrated by the 36,436 active-duty military personnel deployed as of December 2025, according to data from the Defense Military Personnel Data Center (DMDC), which places Germany as the country with the most American uniformed personnel in the region and the second in the world, only behind Japan, which has about 54,000.
Furthermore, in German territory it is estimated that there are about 40 US military installations of different sizes, although the large ones are approximately a dozen and are located mainly in the south and southwest of the country.
🇮🇹 Italy
The American military presence in Europe is a legacy of World War II, when Washington helped stabilize and rebuild the continent after the fall of Nazism. During the subsequent Cold War, troops took root in order to counter the expansion of the Soviet Union (USSR).
In this way, American soldiers have been in Italy since the end of World War II. Including divisions of the Army, Navy and Air Force, with a current presence of 12,662 soldiers on active duty at the bases in Vicenza, Aviano, Naples and Sicily, always according to the DMDC record at the end of 2025. The base in Sicily was the one that Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni denied to the United States to carry out operations against Iran, after the outbreak of the conflict on February 28.
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
US forces in the United Kingdom had 10,156 military personnel as of December last year, stationed at three bases, mainly Air Force personnel.
🇪🇸 Spain
There are 3,814 US troops at the Rota naval base and the Morón air base, both in Spain, where President Pedro Sánchez has positioned himself as one of the leaders most critical of Trump. None of these infrastructures were authorized by the Spanish Executive to collaborate in operations against Iran.
Far behind, Poland, Romania and Hungary continue the list with 369, 153 and 77 US soldiers active in their territory.
Decades after the fall of the Soviet bloc in 1991, U.S. soldier operations in Europe are focused on maneuvers in the Arctic, Africa and the Middle East, including the current conflict with Iran.
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Why would the US be harmed by reducing its troops in Germany?
Although Trump's decision would bring a reduction of men and military equipment on European soil in the midst of the Russian threat, the measure would also cause harm to the United States. And the operations of that country on at least three continents receive support from the territory of the Old Continent.
Ed Arnold, a European security expert at the Royal United Services Institute in London, said the United States gains many benefits from its presence in Germany — such as logistics and support for combat operations in the Middle East — and is unlikely to withdraw.
For his part, Nico Lange of the Center for European Policy Analysis agreed, noting that there are approximately 36,000 American troops in Germany who primarily serve American interests, including "the projection of American power globally," rather than contributing to the defense of Germany.
Among the most valuable military facilities for the United States in Europe is the largest military hospital outside its borders, located in Landstuhl (Germany), where the wounded from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq were treated, while the Grafenwoehr base, in Bavaria, is the largest military training camp abroad.
In addition, the most important US military installation outside its territory stands near the German city of Ramstein, which has been operational since 1952.
As if that were not enough, the US has more than 100 nuclear bombs stationed in Europe, as estimated in March by the Federation of American Scientists.
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What is the response in the US to Trump's decision?
Appearing before the Senate, US General Alexus Grynkewich, commander of US and NATO forces in Europe, argued that "having capabilities and ammunition in Europe" allows Washington to "help the US Africa Command attack terrorists in Africa, or the US Central Command in the execution of Operation Epic Fury", in relation to the war against Iran.
The soldier remarked that "the distances are smaller, it is less expensive and it is much easier to project power" if there are men and equipment in Europe.
In this context, the decision to reduce the number of men in Europe has begun to generate critical voices even among President Trump's co-partisans. Republican leaders of both congressional armed services committees expressed concern about the Pentagon plan, warning that it would send "the wrong signal to Vladimir Putin" amid the war with Ukraine.
In fact, Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi and Representative Mike Rogers of Alabama suggested that troops should be moved to bases in eastern Europe, closer to Russia, rather than being withdrawn from the continent.
Trump's order to withdraw from Germany also did not sit well with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who wrote on social media that "the greatest threat to the transatlantic community is not its external enemies, but the ongoing disintegration of the alliance."
Read also"Putin's dream plan": NATO reacts to Donald Trump's threat to leave
With Reuters, AP and local media
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