The U.S. Department of Defense is aiming to withdraw up to 10,000 U.S. soldiers from the Eastern flank of Europe, particularly from Poland and Romania, according to a briefing of six high-ranking military officials in the United States and Europe.
Currently, there are 80,000 troops stationed across Europe, a number that was boosted by 20,000 by former President Joe Biden following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Now, President Donald Trump is aiming to strike a deal with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin.
The news comes as part of the administration’s broader strategy for Europe. President Trump has criticized the U.S.’s NATO allies for not spending enough on defense and leaning on the U.S. for protection, rather than putting in their fair share. Now, the worried European allies are starting to ramp up their military spending to balance the growing concerns of the U.S. abandoning Europe.
Pete Hegseth, U.S. The Defense Secretary told reporters in February that there are “stark strategic realities that prevent the United States of America from being primarily focused on the security of Europe.”
Despite the rumors, Polish President Andrzej Duda insisted on Tuesday that the move was “not a withdrawal of the army,” while Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz also sought to reassure Poles of the continued U.S. presence. “U.S. troops will stay in Poland, but in other locations,” he said on X.
