Rutte Says 5,000 US Troop Cuts Won't Hurt NATO Readiness as Europe Braces for More
Updated
Updated · DW (English) · May 20
Rutte Says 5,000 US Troop Cuts Won't Hurt NATO Readiness as Europe Braces for More
4 articles · Updated · DW (English) · May 20
Rutte said the planned withdrawal of 4,000 to 5,000 US troops from Europe involves rotational forces and will not affect NATO defense plans or the alliance’s readiness.
The reassurance followed Trump’s threat to pull 5,000 troops from Germany after a dispute with Chancellor Friedrich Merz, though US officials later said a 4,000-troop move to Poland was delayed, not canceled.
The Pentagon said US brigades in Europe will fall from four to three, taking troop levels back to 2021 levels as Washington continues a longer-term pivot toward Asia.
Rutte also said expected US cuts to forces earmarked for NATO crises are part of talks underway for more than a year, tied to higher European defense spending and due to surface at a Brussels meeting on Friday.
Is the U.S. withdrawal fracturing the transatlantic alliance or forcing it to become stronger and more self-reliant?
As the U.S. steps back, can Europe build a military capable of deterring Russia on its own?
With U.S. aid to Ukraine plummeting, how will Europe single-handedly ensure Kyiv's survival and its own security?