The US president is reportedly outraged by the EU’s attitude towards the Ukraine conflict
US President Donald Trump is considering pulling American troops from Germany and redeploying them in Hungary, the Telegraph reported on Friday, citing a person close to the White House.
The US has more than 35,000 personnel stationed across dozens of bases on German soil. The NATO member also hosts American nuclear weapons.
Trump reportedly could take the forces out or move them elsewhere as his administration has split with many of its allies in Europe over how to deal with Russia and resolve the Ukraine conflict. While the US president stressed the need to strike a ceasefire as soon as possible and blamed Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky for the hostilities, the UK and many EU members reaffirmed their commitment to back Kiev.
“Trump is angry that they [Europe] appear to be pushing for war,” a source told the Telegraph.
Brian Hughes, a US national security spokesman, told the newspaper that “while no specific announcement is imminent, the US military is always considering the redeployment of troops around the world to best address current threats to our interests.”
Trump has repeatedly accused Germany of not spending enough on its own defense, while his adviser, tech billionaire Elon Musk, has openly endorsed the opposition anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in the recent parliamentary election. Vice President J.D. Vance ruffled more feathers in Berlin last month when he criticized Germany’s free speech laws during a high-profile conference in Munich.
Friedrich Merz, Germany’s chancellor-designate, has argued that Trump had deliberately escalated his contentious February 28 meeting with Zelensky in the Oval Office. After winning the election last month, Merz stated that Germany could no longer rely on the US for its defense. “We must now show that we are in a position to act independently in Europe,” he said.
Earlier this week, Hungary blocked a joint EU statement promising more military aid for Ukraine. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban sided with Trump during his public spat with Zelensky. “Today, President Donald Trump stood bravely for peace. Even if it was difficult for many to digest,” he wrote on X.
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