US Weighs Pulling Up to 40,000 Troops From Europe as NATO Rift Widens

The Pentagon is reviewing options to reduce the US military presence in Europe, with proposals reportedly ranging from about 25,000 troops to as many as 40,000 being withdrawn or redeployed. No final decision has been made, and the review also covers aircraft, naval personnel and other military capabilities.

Around 80,000 US service members are currently stationed across Europe. A reduction of 40,000 would represent roughly half of that presence and could become the largest US military drawdown on the continent since the post-Cold War reductions of the 1990s.

The review follows President Donald Trump’s repeated calls for European Nato members to take greater responsibility for their own conventional defence. The Pentagon is also examining whether US forces in Europe fit the administration’s “America First” priorities, including a greater focus on China, Iran and threats closer to the US.

General Alexus Grynkewich, who heads US European Command and serves as Nato’s supreme allied commander in Europe, is conducting the review. An initial assessment is expected in September, with a final recommendation due to Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth in November before being presented to Trump.

Possible options include reducing American ground, air and naval forces or relocating some troops from western Europe towards Nato’s eastern flank.

Germany, Italy and Spain could be particularly affected because they host major US military facilities. European officials have cautioned that replacing American capabilities such as long-range missiles, satellite surveillance and aerial refuelling would take years.

The review comes as European governments remain concerned about Russian military and hybrid activities linked to the continuing war in Ukraine. The final size, timing and location of any US troop changes remain undecided.