Pentagon eyes smaller troop cuts across Europe in reversal

Detailed summary

The US is expected to cut about 5,000 US troops, well below the 25,000 previously feared as it looked favourably on increased NATO defence spending.

The US is expected to cut about 5,000 US troops, well below the 25,000 previously feared as it looked favourably on increased NATO defence spending.

The Trump administration’s cuts to roughly 80,000 US troops across Europe will be lower than the continent’s leaders have feared, according to people familiar with the matter.

European allies had previously feared the US might cut as many as 25,000 troops, but a smaller cut is now more likely because the US has looked favourably on increased NATO defence spending, according to the people, who asked not to be identified discussing private deliberations.

Pentagon leadership has also realised how much the US military relies on forces posted across Europe to project American power in the Middle East, where the Iran war continues to drag on, according to the people.

One of the people said allies now expect an overall reduction of about 5,000 US troops.

The final decision rests with President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly lashed out at European allies for not helping the US and Israel with the war against Tehran.

“We have a lot of assets here that are right where we want them,” Trump’s top envoy to NATO, Matt Whitaker, said earlier in November when discussing possible troop cuts. “I don’t expect anything big.”

Most of the US troop reductions will focus on Germany, where the largest American contingent is stationed. The Eastern flank would be bolstered, with countries that border Russia offering to pay for some of the costs.

The Pentagon did not respond on Nov 13 to a request for comment about the troop reductions.

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