Pentagon weighs pulling nearly a third of U.S. forces from Europe
The plan would remove nearly a third of U.S. forces in Europe and include aircraft, ships and weapons, officials said.
- On Thursday, the Pentagon confirmed it is weighing a plan to withdraw between 25,000 and 40,000 troops from Europe, representing the most significant scaling back of the 80,000-strong U.S. presence since the 1990s.
- A six-month review of U.S. military posture follows previous reductions, including about 5,000 troops ordered out of Germany earlier in 2026 and President Donald Trump's roughly 12,000-troop withdrawal from Germany in 2020.
- NATO allies warn that a large-scale withdrawal could weaken the deterrent potential against Russian aggression, as the administration weighs pulling troops from the continent despite allied concerns.
- Roughly one-third of all U.S. forces currently stationed in Europe could be affected; critics accused the Trump administration of aligning with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, with former GOP congressman Joe Walsh calling him a "Russian asset."
- Former U.S. ambassador Michael McFaul questioned, "What US national security interest would this decision advance?" while investigative journalist Robert van der Noordaa declared, "Trump is helping Putin to attack Europe.
33 Articles
33 Articles
The Pentagon is considering a plan to withdraw planes, warships, weapons and tens of thousands of American troops from Europe, despite warnings from NATO allies about the growing threat of Russian aggression.
The US began a six-month review of its forces in Europe earlier this summer, and media reports suggest that one option could see 25,000 US troops withdrawn from Europe. The withdrawal would reportedly mainly affect Germany, but also Italy and Spain.
The Pentagon is considering the withdrawal of some 25,000 U.S. military personnel from Europe, as well as combat aircraft, ships and weapons, as reported by NBC News on 17 September with reference to officials.
The Pentagon is considering a reduction of at least 25,000 U.S. troops in Europe. According to NBC News, the option under discussion could also affect aviation, ships and armaments; the scale of a possible withdrawal could alter the conventional configuration of U.S. forces on the continent almost on the continent.
It has been reported that the U.S. Department of Defense is considering a plan to reduce U.S. troops stationed in Europe by up to half. At the same time, U.S. President Donald Trump has stated that he is pursuing the establishment of a permanent U.S. Army base in Poland, indicating a move to reduce the size of U.S. forces in Western Europe while strengthening ties with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) closer to Russia.
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