NATO boss Mark Rutte is once again trying to smooth things over in Washington.Image: keystone
US President Donald Trump is increasing the pressure on NATO allies. According to a report, the US is now considering whether to withdraw troops from Europe.
04/09/2026, 05:4204/09/2026, 05:42
David Schafbuch / t-online
The US is said to be considering relocating troops and closing military bases in Europe due to a lack of support during the Iran war. This is reported by the Wall Street Journal, citing US government officials. Accordingly, the measure is intended as a punishment against other NATO states. According to the report, the plan is still in its early stages and is only one of several alternatives.
If a military base is closed, at least one country could be affected; possible candidates include Germany and Spain. The US military locations in Germany include Ramstein Air Base in Rhineland-Palatinate, the largest US military base outside the USA. The military also maintains, among other things, a hospital in Landstuhl, two military training areas in Grafenwöhr and Hohenfels and the headquarters for all US military operations in Africa in Stuttgart. There are currently around 37,000 US soldiers stationed in Germany, and a total of 78,000 are currently in Europe.
In Spain, the Americans maintain two large military bases, a naval base near Cadiz and an air force base near Seville. Spain had banned the use of the bases for US military flights in connection with the war in Iran. The US Army has therefore relocated aircraft from Spain – to Germany.
Spain is also the only NATO country not to support the increase in military spending decided last year: At the NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands, the alliance committed that each state would invest five percent of its gross domestic product in defense in the future. Spain is also one of the NATO states with the lowest military spending.
The White House declined to comment on the plans. In recent weeks, Trump has made negative comments towards several NATO states: In addition to the already mentioned Spain and Germany, these also include Great Britain and Italy and France, some of which also denied US troops overflight and take-off rights for operations in the Iran war.
Trump had also criticized the fact that no NATO countries wanted to help the USA solve the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. However, the defense alliance’s obligation to provide assistance only applies in the event that a NATO state is attacked – and not if a NATO state decides to attack another country.
More US soldiers near Russia?
Germany was recently sharply attacked by Trump after several members of the German government made critical comments about the war. Chancellor Merz also clearly expressed his lack of understanding of the US approach and accused Trump of using a different tone.
However, unlike in Great Britain or Spain, the German government allowed the US Army to use the bases for operations in Iran. According to US media reports, two pilots who were shot down over Iran last week were also treated at the military hospital in Landstuhl.
According to the report, the USA is not only considering withdrawing troops, but also relocating them within Europe. Other European NATO states could therefore accommodate more US soldiers in the future. According to the report, the candidates include Poland, Greece, Lithuania and Romania. The countries are not only among the member states that have NATO’s highest military expenditure in terms of gross domestic product. They are also said to have signaled early on their willingness to secure the Strait of Hormuz.
If such a relocation were to take place, more US soldiers would potentially be stationed near Russia. In the past, the Kremlin had regularly warned that NATO was getting closer and closer to the Russian border. As a result of Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine, Sweden joined the alliance in 2024 and Finland in 2023. Finland has a border with Russia that is more than 1,300 kilometers long.
Meanwhile, Friedrich Merz has indicated a slight change of course in dealing with the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. After the ceasefire between the USA and Iran was announced, he said that Germany was now ready “to contribute appropriately to ensuring free navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.” However, the extent to which the German army could participate remained open.
France also made it clear during the war that it was fundamentally ready to help secure the Strait of Hormuz – but only after the war had ended. It is questionable whether one can speak of an end to the war after the recently announced and very fragile ceasefire.
The “Handelsblatt” had also reported that a corresponding security mission was now being discussed at NATO level. “There is a lot to be said for organizing this as a NATO mission,” the newspaper quoted NATO insiders as saying. One of the advantages of a NATO mission is that the Americans would be involved in the operation. At the same time, the alliance would prove to the USA that it is still relevant.
Will NATO intervene after all?
One idea would be to initially start the mission as a “coalition of the willing” and then transfer it to the NATO command structures at the NATO summit in Ankara in July. The possible NATO mission could be the “tribute” needed to appease US President Donald Trump, the “Handelsblatt” continues, citing NATO insiders.
Trump had expressed clear criticism of NATO in recent months and had also brought up the possibility of the USA leaving the alliance. According to the provisions of the defense alliance, an exit is generally possible after a one-year transition period. In the USA, however, legal approval from Congress is also required for an exit. According to reports, there is currently no majority for actually leaving the alliance.
Rutte: Some states have failed
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte visited Trump behind closed doors at the White House on Wednesday afternoon. He described the meeting as a “very open discussion between two friends,” Rutte told CNN afterwards. Trump was “clearly disappointed” with the transatlantic alliance and several partner states. Rutte did not say whether and to what extent a possible withdrawal of the United States from the defense alliance was discussed.
When asked whether some NATO countries had actually failed, Rutte replied:
“Some have, yes, but a large majority of European countries, and we talked about this today, have done what they promised.”
The NATO Secretary General also said that thanks to Trump the world is “absolutely” safer than before the start of the Iran war. It is “very important to weaken Iran’s military capabilities,” he added.
Trump threatens Greenland again
Rutte downplayed the criticism of individual NATO countries about the Iran war. He answered in the negative the question of whether there was a prevailing opinion among the allies that the war was illegal under international law. “NATO has always taken the position that weakening nuclear capabilities and ballistic missiles is crucial,” said Rutte, referring to Iran.
Trump renewed his criticism after the talks: “NATO wasn’t there when we needed it and it won’t be there if we need it again,” the US President wrote on his Truth Social platform on Wednesday evening (local time).
He also provoked again by reminding people of Greenland, “the big, poorly managed piece of ice”. The entire message was written in capital letters. What exactly Trump meant by that was not clear from the post. However, the US President had publicly threatened to annex the island in the past, including using the military. Greenland belongs to Denmark and is therefore also part of a NATO state. This is also why several NATO members considered Trump’s direct demands for support in the Iran war to be inappropriate. (t-online/con)
Sources used:
- Own research
- News agencies AFP and Reuters
- wsj.com: “Trump Weighs Punishing Certain NATO Countries Over Lack of Iran War Support” (English, paid)