Estonia sees sharp reduction in US troop presence during defence review

Most of the US troops stationed in Estonia have left the country amid a planned review of America’s military presence in Europe.

Estonian Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur said that a new US contingent is expected to arrive in the country in the summer and remain there until the end of the year. However, details remain unclear for now, ERR reports.

“This will become known following the six-month review conducted by the Pentagon. But the next rotation is still expected to take place in Estonia during the summer,” Pevkur said.

US soldiers had been stationed at the Tapa military base in Estonia, as well as in other locations—totalling around 500–700 personnel. Currently, fewer than a hundred remain. These soldiers arrived from a brigade based in Poland and Romania. The question of sending US troops to Poland also remains open, as does whether part of them will be deployed to Estonia.

The United States deployed its unit to Estonia on a rotational basis in accordance with an agreement between the two countries.

Chairman of the Estonian Parliament’s National Defence Committee, Kalev Stoicescu, noted that the US has left Estonia, as well as other countries on NATO’s eastern flank, in a state of uncertainty, regardless of how much they spend on defence.

“We can sing, dance and even jump on one leg here. But the decision is still made by the White House and the US administration, based on America’s own interests and vision,” Stoicescu said.

Stoicescu added that if US troops are to remain anywhere in Europe, it should be on the eastern flank. Pevkur noted that no announcements regarding the future of US forces in Estonia should be expected even at the NATO summit starting on July 7 in Ankara. Until then, Tallinn will have to rely on its own forces and NATO battle groups still deployed on rotation in the Baltic states.