NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe General Alexus Grynkewich has said that no further reductions in the number of US troops in Europe are expected in the near future, writes Politico.
In response to a question from Politico, General Grynkewich said that the current troop movements are all that is planned for the near future. He noted that there could be a shift in US forces over time as European allies increase their capabilities, but that this is a long-term process that could take several years.
US President Donald Trump announced in May that he would withdraw at least 5,000 troops from Germany. The announcement followed Trump’s growing dissatisfaction with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s criticism of the US attack on Iran. Meanwhile, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stunned the Poles last week by canceling a planned rotation of 4,000 troops.
NATO allies have tasked Grynkewich with finding troops and military equipment in Europe in response to recent events, according to three anonymous sources.
The decision to withdraw a special long-range missile unit from Germany has caused serious concern.
One source said that, given that the Germans cannot replace the withdrawn unit themselves, it is hoped that everything possible will be done to “patch up the holes.”
Grynkewich had arrived in Brussels for a meeting with NATO generals and said he was in constant contact with allies to understand what options are available and how to organize capabilities on the eastern flank.
The Pentagon has not officially reported the reasons for the reduction in the number of troops in Europe, and Polish officials have traveled to Washington to clarify the situation.
Practically, both US troop rotation announcements are about a single reduction, with the main goal being to reduce the number of troops in Germany. 4,000 soldiers will not be sent on a nine-month mission to Poland, and there is a plan that this empty space could be replaced by soldiers currently stationed in Germany. Meanwhile, the disbandment of the special long-range missile unit means another 1,000 soldiers will go home. Grynkewich said that about 5,000 soldiers will leave Europe, adding that
this decision will not affect the implementation of regional plans.
However, it is clear that the US decisions will have an impact on NATO. Although the reduction amounts to only 3% of all US troops deployed in Europe, it could also affect the American presence in the Baltic states, given that most of the soldiers initially sent to Poland end up there. Jennifer Kavanagh, director of military analysis at the Defense Priorities think tank, said that while replacements for U.S. troops could be found within about a year, heavy equipment is a different matter, and replacing it with an equivalent in the near future will be much more difficult. Replacing the German unit could take as long as five years.
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