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 being 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, expected to last up to six months.

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

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. Despite this, no final decisions have been made, and Gascot's attempt to push a significant troop cut was halted by senior political leadership.

Gascot described the upcoming review as a "real assessment" aimed at ensuring NATO progresses toward Europe taking primary responsibility for its own defense. President Trump is scheduled to meet NATO leaders next week in Ankara, where US troop levels and demands for increased allied defense spending will be key topics of discussion.