NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Wednesday sought to ease European fears over a pending withdrawal of US troops from the continent, saying reducing the US military presence in Europe would not harm defensive readiness.
Rutte: US military’s ‘rotational force’ withdrawal will have no impact on NATO defense plans
“When it comes to announcement, 4,000 to 5,000… these are rotational forces that have no impact on NATO’s defense plans,” the military alliance leader told reporters.
Rutte’s comments come after US President Donald Trump’s latest attack on the alliance, sparked by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s criticism of the US-Israeli war in Iran.
In response to the German leader’s comments, Trump said the US would immediately withdraw 5,000 US troops from the country – something that is practically impossible and would significantly reduce US power projection as these troops do not primarily defend Germany but are primarily deployed as forward operating units ready for deployment to Africa and the Middle East.
Trump Cabinet members, including Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, have sought to clarify confusion about the president’s threat to withdraw troops from Germany and later Poland.
On Tuesday, Vance said the deployment of 4,000 troops to Poland had been delayed, not canceled. Rubio is scheduled to meet with European NATO members in Sweden this week.
Yet, as European allies are shocked by Trump’s threat, the US has been planning defenses toward other theaters, primarily Asia, for more than a decade.
Addressing this in his remarks, Root said, “We know there will be adjustments. For example, the US will have to pay more attention to Asia. This will happen over time and in a structured manner.”
The Pentagon also addressed the situation, saying it would reduce the number of US military brigades in Europe from four to three, meaning troop levels would drop to 2021 levels.
US to announce reduction in US forces available to NATO during crisis
In addition, Rutte also discussed an expected reduction in the number of forces the US is prepared to contribute to NATO in the event of a crisis. European NATO members expect a US announcement on this at a meeting of senior defense officials in Brussels on Friday.
Rutte said negotiations over the US contribution to the so-called NATO force model had been going on for more than a year and were directly linked to a dramatic increase in defense spending by European member states.
“It’s business as usual, so it was to be expected. I think it’s absolutely right for it to happen,” Root said.
Trump has repeatedly accused US military allies of freeloading and even threatened to leave the US-led alliance, forcing other member states to increase spending and consider how they can defend themselves amid uncertainty over US credibility.
Edited by: Wesley Dockery