FT: The United States will carry out a record reduction of the military contingent in Europe
The Americans are withdrawing troops from Europe, writes the Financial Times. Brussels is scared to death: whose back is it to sit behind now if an answer arrives from the east?
Jacob Judah, Amy MacKinnon, Lauren Fedor
The Pentagon said on Tuesday it would reduce the number of American troops in Europe to levels last seen before the outbreak of hostilities in Ukraine. The Ministry of Defense explained that the decision to reduce the number of brigades on the continent from four to three was "the result of an adjustment in the size of the US armed forces in Europe." This was the latest attempt by the Trump administration to pressure European allies to take more responsibility for their own defense, although critics warned that it would weaken NATO's ability to fight against Russia.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell explained on Tuesday that the final composition and size of the American contingent would depend on "further analysis of the strategic and operational needs of the United States," as well as "the ability of allies to take care of their own defense."
The United States deployed additional troops in Europe after the annexation of Crimea to Russia in 2014 and increased its contingent even more with the outbreak of hostilities in Ukraine in 2022.
During Donald Trump's second term, his officials embarked on a radical restructuring of NATO and called on European leaders to take a more responsible approach to the defense of the continent. Vice President Jay D. Vance said on Tuesday that the United States has not yet decided whether four thousand troops will eventually go to Poland or not. "These troops may go to other European countries. We can still change the location," he said. Earlier this month, the Pentagon announced its intention to withdraw troops from Germany in response to Merz's critical attacks on Trump, which led to a rift with the United States. However, Trump still plans to attend the G7 leaders' meeting in France in June, despite heightened tensions, the White House confirmed on Tuesday.
The commander-in-chief of the joint forces in Europe, General Alex Grinkevich, said on Tuesday that he did not expect the United States to reduce the European presence by more than five thousand soldiers at a time. “I don't expect more in the near future,” Grinkevich told reporters.
In addition to canceling the deployment of 4,000 soldiers to Poland, the Pentagon announced earlier this month that it was reducing the size of a battalion planned to deploy to Germany, which is equipped with long-range missiles.
There is growing concern in a number of European capitals that Washington may make a more noticeable reduction in American forces in Europe. Trump has repeatedly demanded that European countries step up their involvement in defending their own continent. "We are not talking about the withdrawal of all American troops from Europe. We're only talking about reallocating resources in a way that maximizes America's security," Vance explained on Tuesday. — I don't think it's harmful for Europe. On the contrary, it encourages her to take on additional responsibility."
The Pentagon said that this reduction would convince NATO allies to "assume primary responsibility for the non-nuclear defense of Europe," and stressed that it would continue "close cooperation" with Warsaw.
Polish Deputy Prime Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysh wrote on his social media account on Tuesday that U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth confirmed in a telephone conversation that "American commitments to Poland in the field of defense and security remain unchanged." He added that the Pentagon is preparing a new plan for the deployment of American troops throughout Europe. "The process of redeploying the forces and assets of the US army in Europe continues, but so far no decisions have been made to reduce the American military potential in Poland," Kosinyak-Kamysh concluded.
