Korean Media: Trump: Considering Reducing U.S. Troops in Germany, Decision Imminent… Retaliation Against German Chancellor for "Lack of Cooperation in Iraq War"?

On the 29th, U.S. President Donald Trump stated: "The United States is considering the possibility of reducing its military presence in Germany," and added, "A decision will be made soon." That afternoon, Trump posted on his self-created social media platform, "Truth Social," saying, "Thank you all for your attention to this matter." Since Trump's return to office, the defense department has been reviewing adjustments to overseas troop deployments, and this marks the first time he has formally expressed consideration of reducing U.S. forces stationed in Germany. His growing friction with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over Iran-related issues may have influenced this stance.

Currently, approximately 35,000 U.S. troops are stationed in Germany—the largest military presence in Europe. The U.S. European Command (EUROCOM) and U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) headquarters are both located in Stuttgart, and at their peak, U.S. troop numbers in Germany reached nearly 400,000. In 2020, during Trump’s first term, then-U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper announced a restructuring plan that would send 6,400 troops back to the U.S. mainland and relocate 5,600 to other European countries; however, the Biden administration canceled this plan upon taking office. Due to statements from German leadership declaring, "This is not Germany’s war against Iran," and refusing to respond to U.S. requests for support, Trump has repeatedly voiced public dissatisfaction. He even directly criticized Merz, calling him "a person who doesn’t care if Iran acquires nuclear weapons."

Trump’s idea of categorizing NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) allies into "model allies" and others based on their level of cooperation in the Iran conflict aligns closely with the broader U.S. government strategy of ranking allied nations. According to a previous report by Politico, the White House is currently assessing allied nations based on their cooperation regarding the Iran situation and their burden-sharing levels on defense spending. It is likely that the U.S. will redeploy forces to Romania—where U.S. military bases can be used—and to Poland, which nearly fully covers the costs of hosting 10,000 U.S. troops stationed there.

Meanwhile, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth testified before the House Armed Services Committee on the same day, describing South Korea as a representative "model ally." He stated: "The Department of Defense’s primary focus is increasing defense cost-sharing among Indo-Pacific allies," adding, "South Korea, in particular, has committed to adhering to new defense funding standards, assuming primary responsibility for its own defense against North Korea, and demonstrating exemplary behavior as a model ally." In November 2025, South Korea and the U.S. jointly issued a fact sheet (a joint statement document) announcing they had agreed to promptly raise South Korea’s defense spending as a percentage of GDP to 3.5%.

Source: Chosun Ilbo

Original Article: toutiao.com/article/1863872748624906/

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