·
·
World
US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that it was "possible" to withdraw American forces from Italy and Spain, in response to a question about whether he would consider such a move. This answer comes a day after he said Washington was considering reducing its military personnel in Germany.
US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that it was "possible" to withdraw American forces from Italy and Spain, in response to a question about whether he would consider such a move.
This answer comes a day after he said Washington was considering reducing its military personnel in Germany.
Trump strongly criticized members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization "NATO" for not sending naval forces to help open the Strait of Hormuz, which was closed to global navigation after the start of the US-Israeli air war on Iran on February 28. He said he was considering withdrawing the United States from the alliance.
An internal email from the US Department of Defense "Pentagon", published by Reuters last week, revealed options for the United States to punish "NATO" members it believes have failed to support US operations in the war with Iran, including suspending Spain's membership in the alliance.
Trump discussed the possibility of withdrawing some US forces from Europe earlier this month. He said on Wednesday that his administration was considering reducing the number of US troops in Germany, and that a decision would be made soon.
Responding to a question today about whether he would also consider withdrawing US forces from Italy and Spain, two countries that criticized the war on Iran, Trump said, "Maybe... Look, why not? Italy didn't give us any help, and Spain was very bad, very bad."
Trump had threatened last month to impose a comprehensive US trade embargo on Spain after it refused to allow the US military to use its bases for missions related to strikes on Iran.
Pentagon data shows that the United States had just over 68,000 active-duty military personnel permanently stationed at its overseas bases in Europe as of December 2025. More than half of them, about 36,400, are stationed in Germany.
