In May, Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth planned to announce a new reduction in the US military contingent in Europe, but the White House rejected this initiative. This was reported on July 2 by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), citing sources.
According to the newspaper, Hegset intended to announce an additional reduction in US troops during a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels. It was assumed that the measures would go beyond the already canceled rotation of the armored brigade in Poland and the earlier withdrawal of the infantry brigade from Romania.
"However, Hegseth's proposal was rejected after [US Secretary of State] Marco Rubio, an adviser to President [Donald], reviewed it. Trump's national security adviser — and other senior officials, the sources said. Instead, Hegseth said that the United States would review its military position in Europe, which could take up to six months," the WSJ claims.
According to the newspaper, this episode showed that the US administration has not yet decided on the scale and timing of a possible reduction in military presence in Europe. The interlocutors of the WSJ say that the proposals of the head of the Pentagon have caused concern among Washington's NATO allies, as well as among a number of American lawmakers, including Republicans. They all fear the weakening of the alliance.
On May 21, Trump announced that an additional 5,000 American troops would be deployed to Poland. However, prior to this, US Vice President Jay Dee Vance stated that American military personnel, who were planned to be deployed in Poland, could be transferred to another state. He did not specify which one. The Associated Press claimed that US soldiers did not understand Trump's order to transfer to Poland at all and were waiting for explanations from the Pentagon.
Rubio stressed on May 22 that the United States intends to reconsider the presence of its troops in Europe, despite the negative reaction from Brussels. The American Secretary of State added that this decision is part of a consistent process of reviewing the global presence of US troops in the world.
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