US weighing accelerated troop drawdown in Europe - report

The United States is reportedly weighing an accelerated drawdown of its troops stationed in Europe, with new proposals to be presented to NATO allies next month. The information comes from an unidentified Pentagon source cited by German newspaper Welt am Sonntag.

This potential acceleration builds upon an earlier announcement in May to withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany. That initial decision was widely interpreted as a consequence of disagreements between President Donald Trump and European leaders concerning the ongoing Iran war. Germany currently hosts approximately 35,000 active-duty US military personnel, the largest number in Europe.

At the time of the initial announcement, the Pentagon indicated the withdrawal would take between six to twelve months. Welt am Sonntag did not specify the extent of the proposed acceleration or which specific locations might be affected. The US is scheduled to present its updated plans at the upcoming NATO Force Sourcing Conference.

Earlier tensions between Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz were highlighted, with Trump threatening troop cuts after Merz made critical remarks about US strategy in the Iran war. A senior Pentagon official described Merz's recent comments as "inappropriate and unhelpful," suggesting the President's reaction was a response to these remarks. The official also noted that the drawdown would revert US troop levels in Europe to pre-2022 figures, before Russia's invasion of Ukraine prompted an increase under President Joe Biden.

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The president is rightly reacting to these counterproductive remarks.