The American military presence in Europe does not stem only from NATO commitments - the United States also uses its bases for its own geopolitical goals. Where are they and how did they come to be built?
From the Azores to Romania, and from Norway to Sicily - American soldiers are in many places in Europe. They represent a complex network, which, however, is constantly undergoing changes during the second term of President Donald Trump. For example, a few days after he stopped the rotation of 4,000 troops in Poland, Trump announced that he would send another 5,000 troops - because of his close relationship with the far-right Polish president Karol Nawrocki.
Why are there so many American soldiers in Europe at all?
After the end of World War II, the alliance of victorious allies split into two blocs: the Western allies led by the United States on one side, and the Soviet Union with its allies - on the other. In 1949, the former Western allies created NATO - not least in view of the then-initiating Cold War.
The largest military power in the defense alliance - the United States - from the beginning considered a permanent presence of troops in Europe as an important factor in deterring the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact. A large number of military bases were built under the security doctrines of Presidents Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower.
At its peak in the late 1950s, up to 475,000 American troops were stationed in Europe, and the legal basis for their presence included NATO's own rules, as well as bilateral treaties with the respective host countries. From 1991 onwards, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the contingents were gradually reduced to a few tens of thousands. This trend was somewhat reversed in 2014 - after Russia's annexation of Crimea, when the need for military deterrence in Europe increased again.
In which European countries is the American military presence the largest?
The largest focus of the American military presence in Europe is Germany - with over 36,400 active military personnel, according to the US Department of Defense. They are concentrated mainly in the southwest of the Federal Republic - in the states of Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate, where the Ramstein base is the headquarters of the US Air Force for Europe and Africa, and in the town of Landstuhl is the largest US military hospital outside the US. In addition, it is considered certain that the nearby Büchel air base of the German Air Force houses US nuclear weapons, which could be used if necessary in accordance with the NATO Treaty.
In second and third place are Italy with 12,700 US military personnel and the United Kingdom with 10,200. The United Kingdom has air bases important for NATO defense, from which the US could send fighter jets, strategic bombers and special aircraft for aerial refueling. Combat aircraft, albeit in a more limited number, are also present in Italy, where the US also maintains an airborne brigade that can quickly send units to Europe or Africa if necessary. Naples is home to the Navy's headquarters for Europe and Africa.
The list includes units that, after the annexation of Crimea, are located in bases on NATO's eastern flank, which are constantly being moved within planned rotations.
Why do US soldiers continue to be in Europe?
The US actively uses its bases in Europe to maintain the global presence of its armed forces: for example, bases in Germany and the UK have been key to air strikes in the war against Iran since late February. However, many of the US's NATO allies are restricting this type of operation on their territory: Italy has refused the rights to land bombers and transport aircraft at the US logistics base Sigonella in Sicily; Spain not only refused to use its bases, but even refused to allow aircraft to fly over its national airspace.
The importance of Europe is partly explained by the logistics involved: if units had to be sent to neighboring regions such as the Middle East, it would take much longer if the units were in the United States. In addition, direct flights have limited range. The same applies to the communications infrastructure - the US military maintains a relay station in Ramstein for guiding drones.
A specific role in NATO's mechanism for deterring Russia is played by regularly rotating units on the Alliance's eastern flank. The United States takes the lead in the multinational forces in Poland - after NATO decided in 2016 to create four such contingents to respond promptly in the event of a Russian attack. The personnel of these forces are rotated every six months, and to reinforce them as part of NATO's Operation Atlantic Resolve, additional American soldiers were sent to Germany and Poland.
What are the biggest open questions about the American military presence?
It was within this operation that 4,000 soldiers were to be sent to Poland in mid-May, but the Pentagon stopped the rotation. The American media linked this to the budget difficulties in the Pentagon, but a connection was also sought with President Trump's threat to reduce the number of troops.
Then suddenly there was a turn and now an additional 5,000 Americans are about to be sent to Poland, without it being clear from Trump's words whether this would be a rotation or whether completely different contingents would be mobilized.
Because a few weeks earlier, after an open dispute with Federal Chancellor Merz, the American president said that he intended to permanently withdraw 5,000 soldiers from Germany. Observers doubt that this will actually happen, but recently the United States has repeatedly emphasized that the planned deployment of American medium-range missiles in Germany in 2026 to deter Moscow will not take place.