Pentagon Weighs Pullback of Nearly One-Third of U.S. Forces in Europe
Plan under review could remove aircraft, ships, weapons and between 25,000 and 40,000 U.S. service members from Europe.
The Pentagon is considering a large-scale withdrawal of equipment and personnel from Europe, a move that would remove aircraft, naval vessels, weapons and tens of thousands of U.S. service members despite repeated warnings from NATO allies about growing Russian aggression.
Scope and possible scale
According to seven current and former Western and U.S. officials, the plan under review would pull roughly one third of the U.S. contingent on the continent — about 25,000 troops — though some sources say the number could reach as high as half, up to 40,000 service members.
If implemented, the reduction would be the most radical decrease of American forces on European soil since the end of the Cold War, at a time when roughly 80,000 U.S. troops are stationed in Europe.
The cuts would fall heaviest on Germany, Italy and Spain, where the bulk of U.S. bases and installations are located. The drawdown would also include aircraft, warships and stockpiled weapons, officials say.
U.S. defense planners are weighing the operational, diplomatic and alliance consequences of such a move, mindful that NATO partners have repeatedly highlighted Russia as an increasing security threat across the continent.
Photo: press material from the event
