A comprehensive look at US military presence in Europe in 2025.
US military presence in Europe: A comprehensive list of key bases and locations
The Trump administration has been in office for less than two months, and in that short time, the transatlantic partnership has faced significant tests.
On Tuesday evening, the United States announced that a ceasefire agreement had been reached with Ukraine and that the proposal was being sent to the Kremlin. President Trump stated that he would be speaking with Russian President Vladimir Putin, while White House officials confirmed that the U.S. would lift its pause on military aid to Ukraine.
European and NATO leaders were quick to back the ceasefire proposal, with French President Emmanuel Macron declaring now peace was up to the Russian leader. “The ball is now clearly in Russia’s court,” posted Macron on X.
I welcome the progress made during the discussions between the United States of America and Ukraine held today in Jeddah, particularly regarding the idea of a possible 30-day ceasefire.
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) March 11, 2025
The ball is now clearly in Russia’s court.…
The strong US military presence in Europe
This unity between Washington and European capitals is a change of air after weeks of division, which has led many members of the European Union and NATO to reconsider their relationship with the United States. Many are seeing how their dependence on the US defensive capabilities makes them vulnerable, even though their countries host US military bases and installations.
According to the Council on Foreign Relations, the United States European Command (EUCOM) is composed of more than 84,000 servicemembers. These personnel are stationed across more than a dozen European Union and NATO member nations, playing a key role in regional security and defense partnerships.
Below we will look at all of the US-controlled bases across European countries, thanks to a list provided by Visual Capitalist. However, these do not include bases that are controlled by the host country but are also sites where the US military operates. For example, Lithuania and Poland are both members of the EU and NATO, and don’t host a US-controlled base but share facilities with the US military on bases they own.
Belgium, home to the capital of the European Union and the headquarters of NATO, hosts three US-controlled military bases:
- USAG Benelux
- Kleine Brogel AB
- Geilenkirchen AB
Germany, one of the countries where the US has the greatest military presence among EU members, is home to six US-controlled military installations.
- Spangdahlem Air Base
- Ramstein Air Base
- USAG Weisbaden
- USAG Stuttgart
- USAG Ansbach
- USAG Bavaria
Greece hosts one base that is controlled by the US: NSA Souda Bay. Meanwhile, the US operates several bases in Italy:
- Aviano Air Base
- USAG Vicenza
- Ghedi Air Base
- Camp Darby
- NSA Detachment Gaeta
- NSA Naples
- NAS Sigonella
Spain hosts two US-controlled bases: Moron Air Base and Naval Station Rota.
The United Kingdom, which is not an EU member, hosts five US-controlled bases:
- RAF Menwith Hill
- RAF Alconbury / Molesworth
- RAF Lakenhealth
- RAF Mildenhall
- RAF Croughton
Since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, US military capacity in Europe has increased. President Trump has made clear that he does not wish to see US servicemembers take part in peacekeeping operations in Ukraine, should a ceasefire be reached.
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