Minus 200 positions in 30 organizations. Reuters and WP write about US plans to reduce participation in NATO
NATO soldiers (Photo: ERA)

The United States plans to cut about 200 positions in NATO structures responsible for planning military and intelligence operations. About reported reuters, citing three American and European officials and The Washington Post citing several U.S. officials with knowledge of the plans.

According to Reuters' sources, the US Presidential Administration Donald Trump has already informed some European capitals about the upcoming cuts. This means reducing the number of American personnel in NATO structures that coordinate and plan military and intelligence operations.

Among the structures to which this applies:

→ NATO Intelligence Fusion Center in the United Kingdom;

→ Allied Special Operations Command in Brussels;

→ STRIKFORNATO in Portugal, which is responsible for part of the Alliance's maritime operations.

According to one of the interlocutors, there are currently about 400 American military personnel working in these agencies, so their number could be reduced by about half.

According to Reuters, the United States does not plan to recall personnel ahead of schedule. Instead, it is said that Washington will mostly not hire people after the end of the military rotation period. The agency's sources did not specify the specific reasons for this decision, but noted that it is generally in line with the Trump administration's policy of reorienting US resources to the Western Hemisphere.

The planned reductions are insignificant compared to the total number of US troops in Europe. Currently, there are about 80,000 U.S. troops there, almost half of whom are stationed in Germany.

At the same time, the agency's sources note that these steps could increase European allies' concerns about Washington's future commitments to NATO.

A NATO spokesperson said the Alliance is in close contact with the United States on the overall balance of power to preserve NATO's deterrence and defense posture.

At the same time, WP's interlocutors note that the Pentagon plans to reduce US participation not only in command structures but also in a number of NATO advisory bodies. According to the publication, the reduction will reduce US participation in almost 30 NATO organizations, including NATO Centers of Excellence, which train troops in various areas of warfare.

Also, according to WP, the cuts will affect NATO's official bodies related to special operations and intelligence, although some functions may be transferred to other NATO structures.

According to WP's interlocutors, the reduction in US participation in NATO structures has been under consideration for several months and, according to US officials, is not directly related to Trump's escalating statements on Greenland. At the same time, these statements, according to the newspaper, have provoked a sharp reaction from European leaders and some lawmakers in the US Congress who fear damage to the Alliance.

  • on January 19, Politico reported that Europe, based on a "coalition of the willing," could create your own alliance instead of NATO without US participation, but with Ukraine.
  • on January 20, Zelenskyy noted that Ukraine would not mind joining to the new military-political alliance of Europe, if it is created.