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Reuters: Trump considering withdrawing some US troops from Europe amid NATO tensions
2026-04-09 21:16:36 / BOTA
US President Donald Trump, frustrated by the failure of NATO allies to help secure the Strait of Hormuz and angry that his plans to buy Greenland have not moved forward, has discussed with advisers the possibility of removing some US troops from Europe, Reuters reports, citing a senior White House official.
No decision has been made and the White House has not instructed the Pentagon to draw up concrete plans for a troop reduction on the continent, said the official, who asked to remain anonymous to discuss internal deliberations.
But the discussions alone underscore how sharply relations between Washington and its European NATO allies have deteriorated in recent months. They also suggest that a visit to the White House on Wednesday by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte failed to significantly improve transatlantic relations, which are at perhaps their lowest point since NATO was founded in 1949.
The US currently has more than 80,000 troops in Europe and has played a central role in Europe's security architecture since World War II. More than 30,000 of these troops are based in Germany, with significant numbers also stationed in Italy, the United Kingdom and Spain.
NATO did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The official did not say which countries might be affected or how many troops might ultimately be withdrawn if Trump decides to move forward with the idea.
While Trump has long had a troubled relationship with NATO – for years accusing European capitals of cutting back on defense spending – the past three months have been particularly difficult.
In January, Trump provoked a transatlantic crisis when he renewed earlier threats to annex Greenland, a Danish overseas territory. Since war with Iran erupted on February 28, he has expressed deep disappointment that NATO allies have not offered to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global energy supplies that has remained largely closed despite a fragile ceasefire announced this week.
NATO diplomats have said the US has not made it clear whether it expects any mission in the Strait of Hormuz to begin during or after the conflict, and they have also said the US has not specified what specific capabilities it expects from each NATO country.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that senior administration officials were discussing relocating troops stationed in Europe from countries whose leaders had been critical of the US-Israeli war on Iran to European countries whose leaders had been more supportive.
The White House official told Reuters that Trump was specifically discussing bringing troops back to the US, rather than moving them to various foreign countries.
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