U.S. President Donald Trump has said he is considering reducing the number of American forces in Germany, amid a spat with Germany’s chancellor and the NATO alliance over Iran. 

“The United States is studying and reviewing the possible reduction of Troops in Germany, with a determination to be made over the next short period of time,” Trump said on Truth Social. 

The U.S. military has a massive presence in Germany that dates back to the aftermath of World War II and the Cold War.

More than 36,000 active duty troops were assigned to bases throughout Germany as of last December, along with nearly 1,500 reservists and 11,500 civilians, CBS News reported citing official data.

Germany is also home to the headquarters of U.S. European Command and Africa Command, and its Ramstein Air Base is a key hub for U.S. operations.

Trump has grown increasingly frustrated with the U.S.’s allies in Europe, which have sought to keep their distance from the U.S.-Iran war. He has threatened to leave NATO, calling the alliance a “paper tiger” for not entering the war.

A 2023 law prevents the president from withdrawing the U.S. from NATO without approval from Congress, according to CBS News.

Meanwhile, Europe is grappling with higher energy prices as the Iran conflict severely constrains oil exports from the Middle East.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz appeared to draw Mr. Trump’s ire after he criticized the U.S.’s handling of the war earlier this week, saying “the Americans clearly have no strategy” on Iran and suggesting the U.S. is being “humiliated” by Iranian negotiators.

Trump wrote on social media that Merz “thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon” and “doesn’t know what he’s talking about.” 

“No wonder Germany is doing so poorly, both Economically, and otherwise!” the president said.

Hours before Trump floated troop reductions, Merz told reporters he still is on good terms with the U.S. president, despite their well-publicized disagreements over Iran strategy.

The U.S. war in Iran has cost $25 billion so far, Reuters reported, citing a senior Pentagon official who provided the first official estimate of the American military’s price tag for the conflict.

Jules Hurst, who is performing the duties of the comptroller, told lawmakers on the House Armed Services Committee that most of that money was for munitions.

Hurst did not detail what that cost estimate included and whether it took into account the projected costs of rebuilding and repairing ⁠base infrastructure in the Middle East damaged in the conflict.

Rep. Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, responded to Hurst: “I’m glad you answered that question. Because we’ve been asking for a hell of a long time, and no one’s given us the number.”

The $25 billion cost is equal to the entire budget of NASA for this year, according to Reuters.

Armbrok press release 

On April 29, a significant event for Armenia’s investment sector took place in Yerevan: the investment company “Armbrok,” with over 30 years of history, introduced its new brand – ROQ Capital. The official rebranding event was attended by around 300 partners, clients and guests.

Over the years, “Armbrok” has built a reputation as a reliable and long-term partner, established a stable client base and secured a leading position in Armenia’s securities market. This experience and accumulated professional capital have become the solid foundation upon which the company’s next phase of development and major transformation has been built.

In a rapidly changing world, this decision was a natural one, as financial markets are becoming more flexible, more technological and more open, while a new investment culture is emerging and  “Armbrok” simply could not remain behind these trends.

It is important to emphasize that the company has chosen not merely to follow these changes, but to shape them.

At the core of this transformation lies a simple idea: to become a more modern, more accessible and more global partner for our clients.

The company now operates under a new brand: ROQ Capital, which symbolizes strength, stability and new opportunities for capital growth.

As part of the rebranding, the company’s core color identity has been preserved: red remains the primary brand color, while the bull, symbolizing market growth and dynamics, continues to appear in the visual identity. At the same time, the brand’s visual language has become more modern, dynamic, and aligned with international markets.

As part of the rebranding, changes have also taken place within the group: Armbrok’s subsidiary, “Glocal” Closed Joint-Stock Company, has also been renamed ROQ Funds and will continue to carry out fund management activities, developing the group’s asset management direction.

Alongside the rebranding, ROQ Capital has also introduced several important updates:

• New official website  The company has launched a new, modern website: roqcapital.am, where its services, market opportunities, and industry updates are presented.

• New investment application  A modern ROQ Markets application will soon be launched, enabling users to open an investment account quickly, in just a few minutes, and gain direct access to international financial markets. The application is equipped with innovative artificial intelligence (AI) tools that help users perform multiple actions more quickly, within a user-friendly and intuitive environment. Thanks to various integrations, users will benefit from unique advantages, including quick access to market data, optimized investment decision-making, and support from modern tools, making the investment process not only faster but also more efficient.

Under its new brand, ROQ Capital’s primary mission is to provide investment services that meet international standards and to serve as a reliable partner for both Armenian and international investors. The company continues its journey, blending extensive experience, innovation and strategic vision to create new value in the investment landscape.

Authorities in Armenia estimate that over 100,000 football fans will arrive in the country during the FIFA U-20 World Cup 2029, which will be co-hosted with Georgia.

Around 30 matches will take place in Armenia, according to the country’s sports minister.

“It is expected that we will have more than 100,000 fans attending the matches on those days,” Zhanna Andreasyan, the Armenian Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport, said at a Cabinet meeting on Thursday.

Preliminarily, up to 20 matches will be held in Yerevan, while the rest will take place in Vanadzor and Ijevan.

Speaking about infrastructure upgrades, Andreasyan said that preparatory work is already underway.

According to her, the Vanadzor stadium is currently under reconstruction and is planned to be upgraded to UEFA Category 4 standards, with a minimum capacity of 12,000 spectators.

In addition, a new stadium is planned to be built in Ijevan, which will also meet UEFA Category 4 requirements.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who earlier hailed the FIFA decision to confirm Armenia and Georgia’s joint bid, once again described it as an important achievement.

“This is a major event in the life of our country, both in terms of football and in general,” Pashinyan said.

The prime minister also extended gratitude to Georgian partners and personally to Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze for effective cooperation, as well as the football federations of both countries for their work on the joint bid to host the tournament.

According to him, it is now necessary to move to the practical stage by establishing organizational structures.

“I think we should form a working group and an organizing committee headed by Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Khachatryan. We should also discuss with our Georgian partners and FIFA the need for a joint organizing committee,” Pashinyan said, emphasizing the importance of coordinated work.

The Prime Minister’s Office released the agenda of French President Emmanuel Macron’s upcoming visit to Armenia.

Macron will visit Armenia from May 3–5.

As part of the visit, the French president will first participate in the European Political Community Summit in Yerevan.

Macron’s state visit to Armenia will begin on May 5.

A private meeting will take place between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and the French president, followed by an expanded meeting between the delegations of the two countries.

After a document-signing ceremony, Pashinyan and Macron will make statements to the media.

Macron will pay tribute to the victims of the Armenian Genocide at the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex in Yerevan and will also visit the Matenadaran.

A meeting will also take place between Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan and French President Emmanuel Macron.

As part of the state visit, Macron, accompanied by the Armenian prime minister, will visit Gyumri, where he will pay tribute to the victims of the 1988 earthquake.

Pashinyan and Macron will also attend a concert titled “Musical Bridge: Armenia–France” in Gyumri.

French President Emmanuel Macron’s state visit to Armenia will include a trip to the city of Gyumri.

A concert dedicated to Armenian-French friendship and the deepening of cultural cooperation is scheduled for May 5 at Vardanants Square in Armenia’s second-largest city.

The concert will feature Armenian and French performances by well-known artists from both countries, accompanied by the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra.

Organizational matters were discussed at a Cabinet meeting on Thursday.

Macron and other European leaders are set to arrive in Armenia for the May 4 European Political Community Summit. The French leader will also pay a state visit.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan reiterated that water management across the country will be a priority of state policy over the next five years.

Speaking at a Cabinet meeting on April 30, the prime minister noted that there is virtually no settlement in Armenia without water-related problems.

He said that in many communities, due to shortages of irrigation water, residents use drinking water for irrigation, which leads to both water losses and a reduction in supplied volumes.

“In the next five years, water issues will be one of our five priorities. Just as the peace agenda was a priority in the previous period, water-related issues will be an absolute priority in the next five-year period,” Pashinyan said.

According to him, without deep and systemic reforms in the water sector, further economic development could stall.

“Our economy has developed to a point where, without fundamental reforms in the water sector, we will begin to stagnate,” he emphasized.

The prime minister said preparatory work in this direction has been ongoing for about two years, and that it will soon be possible to move to the implementation phase of the programmes.

He also stressed the scale of the issue, noting that it involves a broad transformation of the country’s water infrastructure.

According to Pashinyan, there are uncultivated irrigated lands as well as settlements and districts with limited access to water. He also drew attention to sewage and wastewater management issues, noting that even in Yerevan there are entire districts without sewerage systems.

The prime minister emphasized the importance of wastewater management, stressing that in the future no water should be discharged into nature without treatment.

“Our strategic approach is that no water should be released into nature without treatment after use,” he said.

Pashinyan added that reforms in the sector require not only infrastructure investment but also educational and socio-psychological work aimed at forming a culture of water use.

Pashinyan made similar remarks on April 29 during a visit to a village.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has lauded the “historic” reciprocal visits by Armenian and Azerbaijani deputy prime ministers.

Pashinyan was asked to comment on Azerbaijani Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev’s recent visit to Armenia.

“A very important event has taken place. I consider the visits of the deputy prime ministers of the two countries to be part of the institutionalization logic of the historical peace process. I am very glad that we have reached this stage,” Pashinyan said at a press briefing.

Pashinyan stressed that relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan should be continuously improved and that peace should be strengthened over time.

“Normal relations must be established, and in the long term—strategically—good-neighbourly relations,” the prime minister said.

On April 29, Armenia and Azerbaijan held the 13th meeting of the border delimitation and security commissions, led by Armenian Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan and Azerbaijani Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev. The meeting took place in Armenia, while the previous one was held in Azerbaijan.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan reiterated on Thursday that his administration is carrying out daily work to secure the release of the remaining Armenian prisoners held in Azerbaijan.

“When will there be results? When there are results, we will see them. Why am I saying this? Not because I have any information that I do not want to share, but because my experience shows that until someone crosses the border and appears on the territory of Armenia, it is, at the very least, not serious to announce such a possibility,” the prime minister said at a press briefing.

The 19 remaining Armenian captives and detainees in Azerbaijan include former political and military leaders of Nagorno-Karabakh, such as former presidents Arayik Harutyunyan, Bako Sahakyan, and Arkady Ghukasyan; former Foreign Minister Davit Babayan; former Defense Minister Levon Mnatsakanyan; and former State Minister Ruben Vardanyan.

The Armenian government has repeatedly stated that it continues efforts to secure the release of the captives and other detainees.

Earlier in February, an Azerbaijani military court sentenced several former leaders of Nagorno-Karabakh to life imprisonment on war-crime-related charges, which are widely seen as fabricated and part of a sham trial.