US military personnel at the Mihai Cogelnicănu air base. Photo: George Călin
Washington/Brussels – With the geopolitical clouds gathering again, the US Department of Defence is seriously considering a proposal to reduce up to 10,000 US troops in Eastern Europe. This was reported by six senior U.S. and European sources with access to confidential information, NBC News reported.
A potential decision affecting some of the 20,000 troops sent by the Biden administration in 2022 after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has already caused a wave of concern among European NATO partners. According to experts, such a move could be perceived by the Kremlin as a signal of Western weakness.
“Reducing the US contingent will be a blow to the deterrent and could push Russia to take more aggressive actions in Europe,” said Seth Jones, vice president of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies.
Forces deployed in Poland and Romania, countries that play a key role in deterring Russian expansion, could be affected by the cuts. This is being discussed on the sidelines of the Pentagon at a time when Donald Trump, the frontrunner for the White House, is trying to convince Vladimir Putin to agree to a ceasefire.
This US “reorientation” policy, which focuses on reducing the European military presence in favour of deterring China, already has its opponents in Congress. Senator Roger Wicker bluntly stated at the hearing that certain circles in the Pentagon are “deeply mistaken” and are leading the country to a “dangerous retreat from Europe”.
It is worth noting that there are currently about 80,000 US troops in Europe. And although Poland, Romania and other allies are actively building up their own defence capabilities, experts, including retired General Ben Hodges, warn that the vacuum left by the possible withdrawal of troops will be a real challenge to European security.
“This will be a hole that will have to be closed urgently. Because deterrence is not just a presence, it’s a signal,” Hodges said.
Against the backdrop of the Kremlin’s growing ambitions and the rearmament of the Russian army, the warnings are becoming louder. According to Danish intelligence, if the war in Ukraine is frozen, Russia could restore its combat capability to a level sufficient for a large-scale war in Eastern Europe within five years.
As Washington weighs its options, one key question is being asked in Brussels and Warsaw: will this decision – if it is made – be a moment that shakes not only NATO’s eastern flank, but also the very belief in the permanence of transatlantic unity?
