Serious plan to withdraw American troops from Europe.
The US ambassador to NATO, Matthew Whitaker, said the US is preparing to enter into discussions on withdrawing its troops from Europe.
“Proposals for the withdrawal of tens of thousands of US troops from the continent will be discussed starting in late 2025,” he said.
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized NATO member states for failing to meet the target of spending at least 2 percent of gross domestic product on defense, saying it places an unfair burden on the U.S.
Asked whether Trump was considering withdrawing troops from Europe, Whitaker said, “Nothing has been determined.” He also said that European allies were ready to discuss the issue.
The US official also referred to the NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands in June and added, “We will certainly start these discussions later this year after this summit. All our allies are ready to do this (talks).”
Troop withdrawal from Germany
The Telegraph newspaper previously revealed in March that the US president was considering withdrawing about 35,000 active US troops from Germany. According to available figures, there are about 160,000 active US troops stationed outside the US, a large number of whom are in Germany.
Trump is said to be considering relocating some US forces in Europe to be closer to NATO members who have increased their defense spending to meet the target.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also told NATO allies in February that “clear strategic realities prevent the US from focusing primarily on European security.”
During his first term, Trump had ordered the withdrawal of about 12,000 troops from Germany, a country that hosts several major US military installations, including Ramstein Air Base, the headquarters of US European Command. But the move was blocked by former US President Joe Biden amid widespread criticism from Congress.
The Atlantic reported in March that Hegsett and Vice President J.D. Vance had complained about European allies in a chat group. The US publication wrote that Hegsett had expressed “disgust at European freeloading.”