US President Donald Trump, frustrated by the failure of NATO allies to help secure the Strait of Hormuz and angry that his plans to buy Greenland have not moved forward, has discussed with advisers the possibility of removing some US troops from Europe, a senior White House official told Reuters on Thursday.
No decision has been made and the White House has not instructed the Pentagon to draw up concrete plans for a troop reduction on the continent, said the official, who requested anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.
But the discussions alone underscore how sharply relations between Washington and its European NATO allies have deteriorated in recent months. They also suggest that a visit to the White House on Wednesday by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte failed to significantly improve transatlantic relations, which are at perhaps their lowest point since NATO was founded in 1949.
The US currently has more than 80,000 troops in Europe and has played a central role in Europe's security architecture since World War II. More than 30,000 of these troops are based in Germany, with significant numbers also stationed in Italy, the United Kingdom and Spain.
NATO did not respond to Reuters' request for comment.
The official did not say which countries might be affected or how many troops might ultimately be withdrawn if Trump decides to move forward with the idea.
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