NATO: US troop cuts will not weaken European defence

NATO’s top commander Alexus Grynkewich said that a US decision to withdraw an armoured brigade — totalling around 5,000 troops — from Europe will not undermine the alliance’s defence plans in the region.

Grynkewich, speaking in Brussels after meeting with military chiefs from NATO member states, said European allies and Canada are taking greater responsibility for conventional defence in Europe, with continued US backing as capabilities are being adjusted.

“As the European pillar of the alliance gets stronger, this allows the US to reduce its presence in Europe and limit itself to providing only those critical capabilities that allies cannot yet provide,” Grynkewich said, adding that he could not provide an exact timeline, but that it would be an “ongoing process for several years”.

By Vafa Guliyeva