The administration of Donald J. Trump plans to cut some of the roughly 80,000 US troops stationed in Europe, but the reductions may be smaller than European leaders fear, according to people familiar with the matter.
Bloomberg reported that European allies had previously feared the US could withdraw as many as 25,000 troops from Europe. But the people said a smaller reduction was now more likely, as the US views increases in defence spending by NATO members favourably.
The people also said Pentagon leaders had recognised that the US military relies heavily on troops stationed in Europe to project military power in the Middle East.
One of the people said allies now expected the overall US troop presence in Europe to fall by about 5,000.
The final decision still rests with US President Trump, who has repeatedly criticised European allies, accusing them of failing to help in the US-Iran war.
Matthew Whitaker, Trump’s senior envoy to NATO, said this month when discussing possible cuts to US forces in Europe: “We have a lot of assets here that are right where we want them. I don’t expect anything big.”
The planned US troop cuts are focused mainly on Germany, which hosts the largest number of US troops in Europe. At the same time, the US plans to bolster its military presence on Europe’s eastern flank, with countries bordering Russia expressing a willingness to cover some of the associated costs.
A Pentagon official said in a statement that the review was ongoing and there was no further information to share at this stage.
US Under Secretary of War for Policy Elbridge Colby is expected to submit a formal report on the proposed changes to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.
