Politico: US considers withdrawal of up to 20,000 troops from Europe

The United States may withdraw up to 20,000 troops from Europe – this is part of the possible outcome of the Pentagon's Global Force Review. About said Politico Eileen Matle, Senior Fellow for Security Policy at the German Council on Foreign Relations.

According to her, this refers to the forces that were deployed in 2022 after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the decision of the former US President Joe Biden.

"It's still going to leave a significant American footprint," Matle said, adding that the number of US troops on the continent now ranges from 90,000 to 100,000.

One NATO official told the publication that the reduction in troop numbers in Europe could be as high as 30%, which would mean a significant regrouping of American forces.

According to Matle, for the US presidential administration Donald Trump such a step would not only be military in nature.

"It would send a message – and this symbolic contrast is important for Trump," she said.

Matle also emphasized that regardless of the scale of the cuts, they should be coordinated with European allies and should not come as a surprise to them.

The publication notes that Germany remains the main center of American bases.

In particular, about 35,000 US troops are deployed in the country. Key facilities include Ramstein Air Base and the Grafenwoehr training ground, the largest outside the United States.

• In June, US President Trump promised during the NATO summit in The Hague that Russia will never attack the Alliance while he is in the White House.