Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Apr 30
Trump may withdraw US troops from Spain and Italy
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Apr 30

Trump may withdraw US troops from Spain and Italy

9 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Apr 30
  • He also renewed threats to cut forces in Germany, attacking Chancellor Friedrich Merz after criticism of Washington's Iran war strategy.
  • Asked at an Oval Office event about bases in Spain and Italy, Trump said "probably", calling Italy unhelpful and Spain "horrible" over their refusal to join the conflict.
  • German officials played down the threat as a repeat of Trump's first-term stance, while Merz later stressed NATO and US ties and criticised Iran for shunning peace talks.
Are threats to pull troops from Europe a negotiation tactic or the start of a major US strategic pivot from the continent?
How has the US-Iran conflict unintentionally given European allies more leverage to assert their own foreign policy independence from Washington?
With the Strait of Hormuz blockaded, can a new international coalition succeed where unilateral US pressure on Iran has failed?