The Trump administration plans a much smaller reduction of U.S. troops in Europe than European allies had feared, with the force expected to remain near 80,000 and the cut amounting to about 5,000 personnel, Bloomberg reported.
European leaders had previously feared Washington would slash its troop presence on the continent to as few as 25,000, according to the report, which cited people familiar with the matter. Instead, allies now expect an overall reduction of approximately 5,000 troops. About 80,000 U.S. troops are currently stationed in Europe.
Most of the reductions will be concentrated in Germany, which hosts the largest American contingent in Europe. The smaller scale of the withdrawal is linked to increased defence spending by European NATO member states, Bloomberg reported. NATO's eastern flank could be reinforced as part of the reshuffle.
The final decision rests with President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly criticised European allies for failing to help the United States and Israel in the war against Iran. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth is expected to submit his final recommendations on the force posture to Trump by December 1. Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby has yet to submit his official report on the proposed changes to Hegseth, and a Pentagon official said the review was ongoing and declined to comment further.
The review follows months of uncertainty over the U.S. military footprint in Europe. In September, NBC News reported that the Pentagon was weighing the withdrawal of about 25,000 personnel or more from Europe, with a larger option of up to 40,000. The six-month review was launched in June as the administration pressed European allies to assume greater responsibility for conventional defence within NATO.
