After delighting Donald Trump with his promise to increase defense spending during the NATO summit, Europe now awaits a key decision from the US president on the future of the US military presence on the continent. This is reported by AFP, reports News.bg.
Washington is conducting a review of the global deployment of its armed forces, with a partial withdrawal of troops from Europe among the options being discussed. Such a prospect is causing concern among European allies amid concerns that Russia could attack a NATO member in the coming years.
“We agreed that there should be no surprises and no gaps in Europe's strategic framework“, said US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker. He added that the final report on the review of the US force disposition is expected in late summer or early autumn and stressed that the US is coordinating with its partners in the Alliance.
While the idea of reducing the military presence in Europe has been discussed by previous US administrations in order to shift attention to Asia and China, Donald Trump has insisted more vigorously that European countries must take greater responsibility for their own security.
“There is every reason to expect a withdrawal from Europe“, said Marta Muchnik of the International Crisis Group. “The question is no longer whether, but how quickly it will happen”, she added.
According to Pentagon data, about 85,000 US troops are currently deployed in Europe. Senior military officials say that the possible withdrawal of 20,000 people would not weaken NATO's deterrent capacity. The problem is not just about numbers, however. The United States has key capabilities such as air defense, long-range missiles, and satellite intelligence that European allies would struggle to match in the short term.
Washington’s desire to reduce its military presence in Europe could be tempered by Trump’s tough stance on Russia and Moscow’s refusal to meet his demands to end the war in Ukraine.