POLITICO: US signals limited troop changes in Europe

American policymakers are telling European leaders not to expect major U.S. troop drawdowns anytime soon, according to seven U.S. and NATO officials, easing widespread concerns across the continent.

European officials had feared that President Donald Trump might withdraw tens of thousands of American soldiers to pressure allies to increase their defence spending, as the Pentagon refocuses on the Western Hemisphere, Caliber.Az reports via POLITICO.

But officials in Washington have indicated that any withdrawal would be limited, government officials from seven European countries said.

Instead, the U.S. will make targeted adjustments and small pullbacks of rotational forces, leaving the bulk of American combat troops and equipment in place.

“We’ve received mixed signals,” said one NATO military officer, such as small-scale redeployments that won’t be replaced, but “this administration has realised that a stable Europe is important for them, and the signals we are receiving are not that there’s going to be a major withdrawal, not now.”

The matter is expected to feature in Thursday’s meeting of defence ministers at NATO headquarters in Brussels. Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby is attending in place of Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth — a snub by the U.S. defence chief.

Colby, regarded as a hard-liner on Europe and the architect of the recent U.S. defence strategy, is not expected to unveil new plans. But it will be “quite clear the U.S. expects Europe to step up swiftly and signal that while changes may not be immediate, they are coming,” said another NATO official, who, like others interviewed, spoke on condition of anonymity.

The Defence Department did not respond to a request for comment.

Legal constraints also limit a major drawdown. Under the National Defence Authorisation Act passed last year, Washington must maintain a minimum presence in Europe of 76,000 troops. The U.S. currently has around 85,000 soldiers on the continent.

The issue is expected to shadow Colby’s meetings with NATO allies at this week’s Munich Security Conference. Unlike last year’s speech by Vice President JD Vance, which criticised Europe, Secretary of State Marco Rubio will deliver a traditional foreign policy address. A U.S. official said it will express support for the alliance while calling for reform and highlighting the American policy shift to focus on the Western Hemisphere and Asia.

The U.S. has not formally briefed allies on the North Atlantic Council, NATO’s top political decision-making body, according to two NATO diplomats.

Regarding troop deployments, air bases and training ranges operated by the U.S. in Europe, “for the most part things will stay the same,” a second NATO officer said. Some units may be moved around, but European allies are expected to absorb any gradual cutbacks.

Some changes are planned. Around 200 American troops in planning and administrative roles are expected to be withdrawn from several European commands. Once their individual tours end, these positions will not be replaced, leaving European and Canadian forces to fill the gap.

The U.S. is also seeking to reshuffle senior commanders at several top NATO command centres. The U.K. will take control of NATO’s Joint Command Centre in Norfolk, Virginia, from the U.S., and Italy will assume command of the Joint Command Centre in Naples. Germany and Poland would take control of the Joint Command in Brunssum, Netherlands. Meanwhile, the U.S. will take over leadership of Allied Maritime Command in the U.K.

The decision to transfer command of Naples and Norfolk to European allies “was made jointly among all allies,” a U.S. defence official said. The move is part of the Trump administration’s effort to push “European leadership in European defence,” the official added, freeing up the U.S. to focus on the Western Hemisphere and Pacific.

The U.S. ambassador to NATO, Matthew Whitaker, dismissed the suggestion that the changes indicated a U.S. withdrawal.

“President Trump has specifically stated that we are committed to NATO and that we will continue to show up,” he told reporters. “But … anything that allows our allies to step up and do more, and take on more leadership in the alliance is a good news story.”

By Aghakazim Guliyev