The U.S. Military Drawdown in Europe Has Only Just Begun

Soldiers from the US Army in a simulated village during the Combined Resolve “Greywolves” exercise at the US Army’s Hohenfels training area in Hohenfels, Germany, on Thursday, April 30, 2026. —Alex Kraus—BloombergAn announcement by the Trump Administration that the United States would withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany has shaken America’s European allies, but it may just be the beginning of a much wider withdrawal.The Pentagon said Friday that the decision to withdraw the troops came after a “thorough review of the Department’s force posture in Europe and is in recognition of theater requirements and conditions on the ground.”But when asked by reporters Saturday about the move, President Donald Trump said that even more troop withdrawals could follow, representing a dramatic scale-back of the U.S. commitment to European security. “We’re going to cut way down,” Trump said in Florida. “And we’re cutting a lot further than 5,000.”Trump’s move came amid long-simmering tensions between the U.S. and its longtime European allies, particularly over the war in Iran. Trump has expressed anger at fellow NATO members after they refused to provide aid to the U.S. and Israel’s war.   When Europe declined to send warships to help open the Strait of Hormuz, he called NATO “useless” and “cowards,” and has since been seemingly trying to punish his European allies. Internal Pentagon documents found that the U.S. was considering a review of U.S. diplomatic support for European countries’ “imperial possessions,” such as the ⁠Falkland Islands, and was floating the idea of suspending Spain from NATO.German Chancellor…

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