Published on: 2026-05-09
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Rim, May 9 /Xin Hua/ — US President Donald Trump told Italian media that he “still considers” the possibility of withdrawing American troops from bases on Italian territory, adding that “Italy was not around when we needed it.” This was reported on Saturday by the local newspaper Corriere della Sera.
As the publication writes, D. Trump made this statement in a telephone interview, during which he refused to comment on Iran’s response to the US peace proposal, expected on Friday from the Islamic Republic.
On Friday, U.S. Secretary of State Mark Rubio, who was on a visit to Rome, reported that Tehran is expected to respond within the day to Washington’s proposal on resolving the ongoing conflict between them.
Commenting on D. Trump’s words about troop redeployment, Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said that he “cannot understand” the motives of such an intention. The head of the defense department noted that Italy, together with other countries in the coalition, is preparing for an operation in the Hormuz Strait aimed at mine clearance and ensuring the security of maritime navigation.
As reported on May 1 by the Italian news agency ANSA, D. Trump stated that he might also reduce the US military contingent in Spain and Italy, criticizing European allies for not helping in the American-Israeli operation against Iran.
According to data from the US Department of Defense, as of the end of 2025, about 12,700 active American military personnel were permanently stationed in Italy, making this country the second largest center of US military presence in Europe after Germany. –0–
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