U.S. President Donald Trump has discussed with advisers the possibility of removing some American troops from Europe, frustrated by NATO allies’ perceived inaction in securing the Strait of Hormuz and the stalled Greenland acquisition, a senior White House official told Reuters on Thursday. No formal decision has been made, and the Pentagon has not been instructed to develop concrete troop-reduction plans, the official added, speaking on condition of anonymity.
According to Reuters, the discussions underscore the growing strain between Washington and European NATO members, highlighting deteriorating relations despite a recent White House visit by NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. Trump has publicly raised the prospect of withdrawing from the alliance entirely, but even a partial troop pullback would test constitutional and strategic norms while signaling a dramatic scaling back of U.S. security commitments in Europe.
Currently, more than 80,000 U.S. troops are stationed across Europe, including over 30,000 in Germany and significant contingents in Italy, the United Kingdom, and Spain. While the White House official did not specify which countries or how many troops could be affected, Reuters reports that the discussions focus on returning forces to the U.S., rather than relocating them to other nations. The friction is compounded by Trump’s longstanding frustration with NATO defense spending, ongoing disputes over Greenland, and allies’ limited contributions to reopening the Strait of Hormuz amid the Iran conflict.
NATO diplomats have noted that the U.S. has not clearly defined what role it expects from member nations in the Strait of Hormuz mission, further complicating the alliance’s coordination. In interviews reported by Reuters, Secretary-General Rutte acknowledged Trump’s frustrations but emphasized that most European countries have supported Washington’s war effort in Iran, leaving the future of transatlantic cooperation uncertain at a critical juncture.
