Europeans urge the US not to resort to a shock troop withdrawal, warn in advance - Bloomberg
Kyiv • UNN
The European Union calls on the United States to coordinate plans to reduce troops in Europe in order not to weaken NATO's defense. The decision to withdraw troops could undermine efforts to deter Russian aggression.
European allies are calling on the US to coordinate any plans to reduce its military presence on the continent to avoid destabilizing NATO's defense, citing people familiar with the matter, Bloomberg reports, writes UNN.
Details
"European officials agreed that President Donald Trump's administration will almost certainly withdraw some of the approximately 80,000 US troops stationed in Europe, including in some eastern countries most at risk from Russia," the publication's sources said. And, as noted, "their attention is focused on mitigating the worst consequences of such a shift."
When asked to comment on the situation, a NATO representative said that the issue of troop deployment is a matter for the US.
Any White House decision to withdraw troops and weapons from Europe could undermine the intensive efforts of NATO allies to increase their ability to deter Russian aggression, the publication writes. People say that due to the shocks that Trump brought to Washington, some of the usual communication channels are disrupted, and Europeans fear that they will not be warned about such decisions in advance, but instead they will learn from the media that thousands of American troops are being withdrawn.
NBC News reported on Tuesday that the US is considering withdrawing up to 10,000 troops from Eastern Europe. Before the war in Europe, there were about 65,000 US troops, and after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, their number sometimes reached 100,000.
One German diplomat said they expected such a move to be announced earlier, such as during Vice President Jay Dee Vance's speech at the Munich Security Conference in February.
When NATO foreign ministers welcomed US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to the alliance's headquarters last week, Europeans tried to assure him that they were beginning to shoulder more of the burden of their own defense and increase military spending - a long-standing demand of Trump. Senior NATO diplomats said that all allies agree on the need to redistribute the burden.
Instead, Europeans wanted a commitment from their American partners to provide advance notice of any troop withdrawals. Diplomats said the main message to the US was that European allies needed time to prepare for a reduction in the American presence.
The speed of any US troop withdrawal, as indicated, could become an important factor in Europe's vulnerability. The continent remains heavily dependent on Washington's military leadership, and leaders are struggling to quickly develop their own capabilities. These efforts are compounded by deep divisions within the EU over how to finance increased military spending and stimulate Europe's sluggish defense sector, the publication writes.
Meanwhile, European officials continue to present political arguments to Washington about the benefits of their military presence on the continent. One senior European diplomat said they were trying to convince the US that their troops on the continent are projecting political power.
Another official told Bloomberg that moving other US military assets from Europe, such as logistics, air force and intelligence capabilities, would have more impact on potential hotspots in Asia than troop cuts.
The exact number and locations affected by the planned US troop withdrawal are not yet known. However, according to people, an additional 20,000 soldiers that former US President Joe Biden deployed to Eastern Europe after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine may be at stake.
Allies expected the US to eventually reduce this particular deployment, European officials said on condition of anonymity. The administration of former President Biden also recently considered reducing this deployment of American troops amid concerns about maintaining them in a state of high alert, according to other people familiar with the matter.
However, cutting American troops beyond those recently deployed by Biden would be more alarming, European officials said.
American officials, such as Republican Mike Rogers, chairman of the US House Armed Services Committee, and General Chris Cavoli, head of US European Command, are warning against any large-scale withdrawal that they say could have implications for US security. Speaking at a House hearing on Tuesday, General Cavoli said that the current disposition of forces should be maintained, given the importance of US bases in Europe for conducting missions in the Arctic and the Middle East.
Eastern flank
Even a limited withdrawal of troops would mean weakening the US commitment to NATO's frontline states, such as Poland and Romania, the publication writes. Such a move, it is noted, could deepen divisions within the alliance and inspire Moscow.
The US Armed Forces Command in Europe and Africa said on Monday that it is transferring some of its troops from its base in Jasieńka to other locations in Poland.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Tuesday that he had received assurances from the US that they would not reduce the number of troops in the country, and he hopes that the White House will fulfill this commitment.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte echoed these concerns during a visit to Warsaw last month, where he said that assurances must be a "two-way street."
"Europe needs to know that Uncle Sam still has our back," he said, insisting on his confidence that the US is committed to defending NATO allies in the event of an attack.