Trump Blasts 80,000-Troop NATO Presence as Iran War and Spending Disputes Shadow Summit
Updated
Updated · Stars and Stripes · Jun 23
Trump Blasts 80,000-Troop NATO Presence as Iran War and Spending Disputes Shadow Summit
3 articles · Updated · Stars and Stripes · Jun 23
Summary
Trump accused European allies of failing a loyalty test during the Iran war, singling out Italy and Germany and mocking outgoing British Prime Minister Keir Starmer ahead of Wednesday talks with NATO chief Mark Rutte.
His attack also revived a long-running complaint that the United States spends too much on Europe’s defense, just as the Pentagon reviews its force posture on the continent.
Roughly 80,000 U.S. troops are stationed in Europe, and the review could reshape that footprint even as NATO leaders prepare for an early July summit in Ankara.
Europe has raised defense spending since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, and Rutte backs a bigger European role, but the pace of any U.S. drawdown remains unclear after confusion over 5,000 troops in Germany and another 5,000 Trump said he would send to Poland.