US launches review of military presence in Europe as NATO shifts defence burden
"As the Secretary (Hegseth) laid out then, this will be a real review, designed to ensure that NATO is moving fast and irreversibly toward Europe taking primary responsibility for its conventional defense," US Defense Under Secretary Elbridge Colby wrote on X.
"The outcome of this Review will be an acceleration of NATO’s transition to a stronger, more equitable, and sustainable alliance," Colby added.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly lashed out against European allies over their response to his war in Iran, including the refusal to allow US forces to use their bases during the start of the conflict.
Hegseth has also threatened to reduce Washington’s NATO spending unless allies reached defense spending targets.
Washington has been clear with Europe that it wants NATO allies on the continent to take over primary responsibility for their own conventional defense as US focus shifts towards China.
As part of that process the Pentagon has already told allies it is reducing the number of assets worldwide that it makes available for NATO operations.
According to US military watchdog portal usmilitary.org, the US currently maintains more than 40 military installations across Europe, with the largest concentrations in Germany, Italy, Poland, and the United Kingdom.
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Approximately 76,000 US troops are currently stationed across NATO territory in Europe, following the surge after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
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The Trump administration announced a withdrawal of 5,000 troops from Germany in May 2026. Hegseth initiated the broader six-month review of US force posture in Europe on 18 June 2026.
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In its National Defence Authorisation Act 2026, the US Congress has placed a statutory floor of 76,000 US troops in Europe, limiting the administration’s ability to make deeper unilateral cuts.
Speaking ahead of the annual NATO summit in Ankara earlier this month, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said NATO must become more European to reduce its long-standing reliance on the US security umbrella.
"We cannot continue, as we did, being over-reliant on the United States. We need a much stronger Europe within a stronger NATO," Rutte said, hailing an "unparalleled" transformation driven by closer EU-NATO cooperation.
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