The Trump administration is poised to gradually withdraw strategic bombers, fighter jets, drones, submarines and warships committed to NATO from Europe in the latest assault on the organisation.
The announcement was delivered during a closed-door meeting by Pentagon adviser Alexander Velez-Green, who disclosed that America’s fighter jet commitment to NATO would be cut by one third. The Navy will similarly reduce its destroyer presence within the alliance’s fleet.
Der Spiegel reported that Velez-Green stated during the meeting that the U.S. would only be willing to cooperate with allies who act swiftly to fill the void left by America’s drawdown – remarks interpreted by other NATO officials as a veiled threat. This follows reports that Trump attempted to access the US nuclear launch codes before a horrified general intervened with a stark rebuke.
The decision will significantly diminish the “NATO Force Model,” the alliance’s structure for organising, managing and commanding national forces to guarantee swift response capabilities and collective defence. The framework was established following Russia‘s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
The cutbacks could prove deeply concerning for the North Atlantic alliance, given that the U.S. represents approximately 62% of total defence expenditure across NATO. President Trump’s decision to reduce the arsenal arrives just days after leaving NATO allies and defence officials baffled when he announced plans to deploy 5,000 U.S. troops to Poland mere weeks after ordering the withdrawal of the same number of forces from Europe.
Trump’s initial directive triggered a wave of urgent activity amongst military commanders and left allies already questioning America’s dedication to European security wondering which forces they might need to replace on NATO’s eastern flank facing Russia and Ukraine.
Earlier this month, the Trump administration announced it was cutting its troop presence in Europe by approximately 5,000 troops, with U.S. officials confirming that roughly 4,000 service members would no longer rotate into Poland from Germany. The deployment of U.S. personnel trained to operate long-range missiles to Germany was also suspended.
However, in a post on Truth Social on Thursday, Trump revealed he would now dispatch “an additional 5,000 Troops to Poland,” pointing to his close relationship with Polish President Karol Nawrocki, whom Trump backed in last year’s elections.
“It is confusing indeed, and not always easy to navigate,” Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard told reporters Friday at a gathering she was hosting of her NATO counterparts, including U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. U.S. defence officials also expressed bewilderment. “We just spent the better part of two weeks reacting to the first announcement. We don’t know what this means either,” said one of two officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military matters.
However, Rubio stated that Washington’s allies are well aware that shifts in U.S. troop numbers across Europe are inevitable as the Trump administration reassesses its military requirements. “I think there’s a broad recognition that there are going to be eventually fewer U.S. troops in Europe than there have historically been for a variety of reasons,” he said.
Approximately 80,000 U.S. troops are currently stationed throughout Europe. The Pentagon is obliged to maintain at least 76,000 troops and key military equipment on the continent unless NATO allies are consulted and it is determined that any withdrawal serves U.S. interests. A reduction of 5,000 troops could potentially push numbers below that threshold.
Yet Trump’s most recent post suggests that troop numbers across Europe would remain unchanged.
Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski welcomed the decision to deploy additional forces to his country, noting that it ensures “the presence of American troops in Poland will be maintained more or less at previous levels.”
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte also praised the move.
On Thursday, prior to Trump’s return to Truth Social, Rutte had emphasised the importance of Europe taking greater responsibility for its own security. “We have a process in place. This is normal business,” he told reporters.