US may reduce its troop existence in Europe
(MENAFN) The United States may reduce its troop presence in Europe by as much as 30%, according to a report by published Monday, citing anonymous sources familiar with the matter. The potential drawdown could be announced as soon as September and would be part of a broader Pentagon reassessment of global military deployments known as the Global Force Posture Review.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized European NATO members for failing to meet their defense spending commitments, and his administration has hinted for months that a reduction of the U.S. military footprint in Europe is on the table. In February, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth urged European allies to take on greater responsibility for their own defense, warning that they should not assume America’s military presence is permanent.
Aylin Matle, a defense analyst at the German Council on Foreign Relations, suggested that a 20% troop reduction is likely, with about 20,000 troops—largely those deployed by President Joe Biden in 2022 following the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine—potentially being withdrawn. She noted, however, that even with such a cut, the U.S. would retain a significant military presence, with current troop levels fluctuating between 90,000 and 100,000. Matle added that U.S. forces in Europe serve multiple strategic purposes, including regional defense and power projection into the Middle East and parts of Africa.
The potential cuts have reportedly unsettled many European governments, especially Germany, which hosts the largest number of U.S. troops in Europe—around 35,000 stationed at 35 military sites. Berlin’s anxiety is compounded by the EU’s recent push for rearmament, including the €800 billion ($930 billion) ReArm Europe initiative and a new NATO target of raising defense spending to 5% of GDP, both motivated by growing concerns over Russian aggression.
Following a meeting with Hegseth earlier this month, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said he pressed U.S. officials for a clear timeline and urged caution. He warned that if U.S. forces withdraw faster than European militaries can fill the gaps, the result could be “dangerous capability gaps” at a time of increasing global instability.
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