Trump plans to withdraw troops from Germany and move them to Eastern Europe

According to The Telegraph on March 7, President Trump is considering transferring troops from Germany to Hungary - a country that still maintains close ties with Russia. Mr. Trump is increasingly frustrated that the continent seems to be "fueling conflicts".

The US currently has about 160,000 active-duty troops stationed outside the country, a large number of whom are in Germany.

"While no specific announcements are forthcoming, the U.S. military is always considering redeploying troops around the world to best address current threats to our national security interests," said Brian Hughes, a U.S. national security spokesman.

According to The Telegraph , citing informed sources, President Trump is said to be considering redeploying some US troops in Europe to focus on North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member states that have increased defense spending to meet GDP targets. This is also part of the administration's plan to reshape NATO participation in a way that benefits member states with higher defense spending.

The move comes as the US leader has repeatedly criticized NATO countries for failing to meet their current 2% spending target, saying the gap puts an unfair burden on the US. On March 6, Mr. Trump warned that the US might not defend NATO allies if they do not meet their defense spending targets.

During his first term (2017-2021), Mr. Trump ordered the withdrawal of nearly 12,000 troops from Germany, where the US has several large military facilities including Ramstein Air Base, headquarters of the US European Command.