Trump says US studying troop cuts in Germany, as spat with Merz intensifies

The US is "studying and reviewing" whether to reduce the thousands of troops it has stationed in Germany, President Donald Trump has announced via social media. His remarks came days after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz criticised his approach to the war in Iran, suggesting that US had been "humiliated" by Iranian negotiators. Trump said in a social media post late on Wednesday that a decision on troop numbers would be made "over the next short period of time". He then rounded on Merz early on Thursday, saying he should spend "more time on ending the war with Russia/Ukraine (Where he has been totally ineffective!)". The BBC has contacted the White House for comment. The US has a significant military presence in Germany, with more than 36,000 active duty troops assigned to bases across the country as of last December. The president doubled down on his criticism of Merz later on Thursday, telling reporters the German leader was "doing a terrible job" and had "problems of all kinds", including on immigration and energy. Asked whether he would also consider pulling US troops from Nato allies Italy and Spain, Trump responded: "I probably will - look, why shouldn't I?" "Italy has not b