The United States maintains dozens of military bases in Europe.
86% confidence
DefenceEurope
Omissions
Exact counts vary by definition: CEPA (April 2025) lists 31 'persistent bases' plus 18 other sites (≈49), CFR speaks of 'more than forty' bases, and Statista refers to 'around thirty permanent bases'; some counts only include sites of at least 10 acres or $10 million in value (Newsweek).
The US footprint in Europe has been shrinking: the Pentagon declined to replace ~700 troops in Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia in October 2025 and announced in May 2026 plans to withdraw ~5,000 troops from Germany, so the number and size of installations is in flux.
The claim's accompanying assertion that the US 'commits its crimes' with these bases is a political value judgement, not a verifiable fact; only the existence of 'dozens' of bases is factually checkable.
No primary Department of Defense 'Base Structure Report' figure for Europe was retrieved; the count rests on think-tank and reference-media compilations drawing on DoD/EUCOM data.
Sources
SecondaryCouncil on Foreign Relations — 'Where Are U.S. Military Forces Deployed in Europe?''More than forty U.S. military bases span the continent, from the Strait of Gibraltar to Turkey's border with Russia. The bulk of bases are concentrated in western and central Europe—primarily Germany, Italy, Poland, and the United Kingdom (UK).' Article also updated with October 2025 and May 2026 drawdown decisions.
SecondaryCEPA — 'Going, Going . . .? The US Base Network in Europe''As of early 2025, there were roughly 84,000 US service members across the United States European Command (EUCOM) area of responsibility... This included what are termed 31 persistent bases and 18 other military sites to which the Department of Defense (DoD) has access in Europe, encompassing air bases, naval stations, army garrisons, missile defense systems, and surveillance hubs.'
SecondaryStatista — 'Where the U.S. Have Military Footholds in Europe''over 50,000 troops across around thirty permanent bases in Europe (area of responsibility of the United States European Command), with important air hubs like Keflavik (Iceland), Ramstein (Germany) and Lakenheath (United Kingdom), or naval stations like Rota (Spain) and Souda (Greece).'