At a military installation in Munster on Thursday, Chancellor Friedrich Merz made a pointed reaffirmation of Germany's commitment to the transatlantic relationship with the United States at a moment of renewed public tension over U.S. forces in the country.
Merz said Berlin's direction continues to be anchored in support for a strong NATO military alliance and a stable partnership with the United States. "As you know, this transatlantic partnership is particularly close to our hearts - and to mine personally," he said to reporters during the visit.
The chancellor's comments came hours after President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social that "The United States is studying and reviewing the possible reduction of troops in Germany, with a determination to be made over the next short period of time." The remark followed recent exchanges between the two leaders over the ongoing conflict involving Iran. Earlier in the week, Trump and Merz had sparred over statements about the conduct of Iranian negotiators, with Trump saying Merz did not know what he was talking about after Merz said the Iranians were humiliating the U.S. in talks to end the two-month-old war.
Merz did not address Trump's most recent comment directly, nor did he field questions after his prepared statement. He did, however, reaffirm that Germany is open to participating in a military mission to reopen the Strait of Hormuz once the necessary conditions are in place. The strait has been largely blockaded since the outbreak of the Iran conflict.
On the broader diplomatic front, Merz said Berlin remains in "trusting contact" with international partners and especially with Washington on matters related to Iran. His remarks sought to emphasize continuity in Germany's security posture despite the charged public exchange at the leadership level.
The U.S. currently has just over 68,000 active-duty military personnel permanently assigned to overseas bases in Europe as of December 2025, according to data from the U.S. Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC). More than half of those forces - about 36,400 - are based in Germany. That presence is markedly smaller than the roughly 250,000 U.S. troops stationed in Germany in 1985.
Merz's statements framed Germany's policy stance in terms of alliance reliability and operational readiness, while the U.S. public signal of a potential force review has underscored uncertainty about future troop levels on German soil.