There will be 5,000 US troops withdrawn from Europe, and further movements can be expected in the future. This was stated by the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in Europe, Alexus Grynkewich, in a press conference at the end of the meeting of the NATO Chiefs of Staff. “In accordance with President Trump’s announcement, 5,000 troops will be withdrawn from Europe,” he said, explaining that “a good portion of these are from the returning armored brigade combat team, and the United States has also already announced that the previously planned deployment of a long-range fire battalion will be scaled back and will not take place.”
“As allies strengthen their capabilities, the United States can withdraw some capabilities and use them for other global priorities”
Alexus Grynkewich, Supreme Commander of NATO Forces in Europe
According to the commander, furthermore, “the deployments we have so far are all that have been announced. They are everything I expect in the short term, but in the long term we must definitely expect further withdrawals, as Europe continues to build capabilities and assets and take on a greater share of Europe’s conventional defense.”
“Trade routes remain under pressure, energy flows remain exposed, hybrid threats continue, with cyber attacks, sabotage, disinformation and malicious use of new technologies” underlined Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, president of the NATO Military Committee. “Since the last time we met in this formation, in January, new crises have arisen. Existing ones have worsened and the security context has become even more challenging. Russia’s war against Ukraine has now entered its fifth year” underlined the admiral, adding that he had seen in a recent visit to Ukraine how the conflict remains “brutal” and “with serious consequences and directly relevant for our security”.
NATO deployment to Hormuz if the strait does not open in July