Why does the US have military bases in Germany – and will Trump follow through on his threat to cut numbers?

President has said he’s once again considering reducing the 36,400 US personnel based in Germany. But why are they there in the first place?

Donald Trump has said the US is “studying and reviewing the possible reduction” of its troops stationed in Germany, days after the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, suggested Washington was being outplayed and “humiliated” by Iran.

The US president said a “determination” on the US military presence in Germany, seen as a key part of Nato’s defences but also vital for the projection of US power in other parts of the world, would be made “over the next short period of time”.

Here’s a brief look at why the US has military bases in Germany, what role they play, and how Trump’s threat to wind them down – the latest of many, dating back to his first term – may not appeal much to the Pentagon or the state department.

The US military footprint in Germany dates back to the second world war in 1945. When the Nazi regime surrendered there were 1.6m US troops in the country, a number that fell within a year to fewer than 300,000, mainly managing the American zone of occupation.