US Defense Secretary's Plan to Cut Troops in Europe Halted Amid Internal Dispute

US Defense Secretary Pete Gascot planned to announce further reductions of American military forces in Europe during a visit to NATO headquarters in Brussels last month. However, the proposal was blocked after it was brought to the attention of senior Trump administration officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the President's National Security Advisor. Instead of an immediate announcement, the Pentagon will conduct a comprehensive review of US troop deployments in Europe, a process expected to last up to six months.

This development highlights ongoing tensions within the Trump administration between reducing US military commitments in Europe and concerns about damaging alliances and appearing weak toward Russia. President Trump has frequently criticized NATO members for insufficient defense spending, while Pentagon officials advocate for shifting primary security responsibilities to European nations.

The troop reduction plan follows previous moves such as canceling the deployment of an armored brigade to Poland and withdrawing an infantry brigade from Romania. The Pentagon's January defense strategy calls for decreasing US presence in Europe to reallocate resources toward the Indo-Pacific region, focusing on China and other strategic theaters.

Secretary Gascot described the upcoming review as a "real assessment" to ensure NATO progresses toward Europe taking primary responsibility for its defense. President Trump is scheduled to meet NATO leaders next week in Ankara, where discussions will include US troop levels in Europe and demands for increased defense spending by allied countries.