President Donald Trump is considering the withdrawal of 35,000 active U.S. troops from Germany and redeploying them to Hungary, it was reported.
Such a move would "further sour" U.S.-Europe relations, The Telegraph reported Friday.
Trump "is angry that they [Europe] appear to be pushing for war," a source told the outlet.
The president has said that ending the Ukraine-Russia war is among his top goals. He also has demanded that NATO partners contribute more financially for defense.
European Union leaders Thursday backed new defense spending plans aimed at freeing up billions of euros for the continent's security, amid concern that under the Trump administration, could have to fend for itself in the future.
Later that day, Trump renewed doubts over his commitment to the NATO alliance, saying countries that are not spending adequately on their militaries do not deserve defense.
"If they don't pay, I'm not going to defend them," he told reporters in the Oval Office.
Roughly 160,000 active-duty personnel are stationed outside of the U.S., with a vast quantity in Germany.
"While no specific announcement is imminent, the U.S. military is always considering the redeployment of troops around the world to best address current threats to our interests," national security spokesman Brian Hughes said.
At last month's Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), Vice President J.D. Vance said, "Germany's entire defense is subsidized by the American taxpayer."
During his first term, Trump ordered the withdrawal of nearly 12,000 troops from Germany, but the move was halted by former President Joe Biden.
Hungary Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a longtime Trump supporter, said Friday that the EU cannot afford to finance Ukraine's military efforts as U.S. financial aid is no longer guaranteed. He did so after the leaders of 26 EU countries signed a statement voicing support for Ukraine without Hungary.
Orban said Saturday that his country and the U.S. will agree on an economic cooperation package that will help the Hungarian economy and could offset the effect of possible U.S. tariffs.
Other elements of the agreement will help Hungary to "offset, at a national economic level, the losses caused by U.S. tariffs imposed on Europe and will provide compensation both in monetary and real economic terms."
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this story.
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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