Trump discusses possible US troop reduction in Europe amid NATO tensions

Washington: US President Donald Trump has discussed with advisers the possibility of withdrawing some American troops from Europe as strains with NATO allies deepen, a senior White House official told Reuters on Thursday.

The official said no final decision has been taken and the White House has not instructed the Pentagon to prepare detailed plans for a reduction of US forces in Europe. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said the talks nevertheless reflect a marked deterioration in ties between Washington and its European NATO partners.

Trump is frustrated by what he sees as NATO allies’ failure to help secure the Strait of Hormuz and is also angry that his plans to acquire Greenland have not advanced. The discussions also indicate that a White House meeting on Wednesday with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte did not substantially improve relations across the alliance, which are at one of their lowest points since NATO was founded in 1949.

US military presence in Europe

The United States currently has more than 80,000 troops stationed across Europe and has remained central to the continent’s security structure since World War Two. More than 30,000 of those personnel are based in Germany, while significant numbers are also deployed in Italy, the United Kingdom and Spain.

The White House official did not specify which countries could be affected or how many troops might be withdrawn if Trump decides to proceed. NATO did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Alliance strains deepen

Trump has had a difficult relationship with NATO for years, repeatedly accusing European governments of not spending enough on defence. The past three months, however, have been especially tense.

In January, Trump triggered a transatlantic dispute by reviving earlier threats to annex Greenland, an overseas territory of Denmark. Since the war with Iran began on February 28, he has also voiced strong frustration that NATO allies have not offered assistance in reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a key passage for global energy supplies that has remained largely shut despite a fragile ceasefire announced this week.

NATO diplomats have said the United States had not made clear whether it expected any mission in the Strait of Hormuz to begin during the conflict or after it. They also said Washington had not specified what capabilities it expected from each NATO member state.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that senior administration officials were discussing shifting troops stationed in Europe out of countries whose leaders had criticised the US-Israeli war in Iran and into European states whose leaders had been more supportive. However, the White House official told Reuters that Trump was specifically considering bringing troops back to the United States rather than relocating them to other foreign countries.