US President Donald TrumpImage: keystone
April 30, 2026, 9:57 p.mApril 30, 2026, 9:57 p.m
One day after his threat to withdraw US troops from Germany, President Donald Trump is following up. When asked whether he could also imagine such a step in Italy and Spain, he said: “Yes, probably. I probably will.” Italy has not proven to be of help to the United States, Trump said without giving further details. About Spain, with which the Republican has been at loggerheads for some time, he said: “Terrible, absolutely terrible.” The US had encountered resistance in both Spain and Italy to the use of military bases for the Iran war.
Georgia Meloni and Donald Trump are no longer the good friends they once were.Image: keystone
86,000 soldiers in Europe
On Wednesday, Trump announced that he would review the withdrawal of US troops from Germany. A decision should follow shortly. Shortly before the threat, Trump verbally attacked Chancellor Friedrich Merz. However, the CDU politician is not the only European that the Republican has recently been unable to deal with: recently, after Trump’s criticism of the Pope, there was a clash between him and the Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
According to information from the US military in mid-April, around 86,000 soldiers are currently stationed in Europe – around 39,000 of them in Germany. The number changes regularly, also due to rotations and exercises.
The bases are of great value not only for Germany, but also for the USA itself. One of the most militarily important is the Ramstein Air Base in Rhineland-Palatinate, which serves as the USA’s central air hub for Europe and the Middle East. The largest US military hospital abroad is in Landstuhl in Rhineland-Palatinate, and the largest US military training area outside the USA is near Grafenwöhr in Bavaria. (sda/dpa)