US considers drawing down forces in Europe
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The United States is considering the reduction of its military presence in Europe.
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Polish and other NATO troops take part in military maneuvers Steadfast Defender 24 in Korzeniewo, Poland, on Monday, March 4, 2024. (AP)
NBC News, citing sources, reported that the United States is weighing the option of reducing its military presence in Europe as it shifts its focus to the Asia-Pacific region and the Mexico border.
According to the media outlet, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth privately told Ukrainian officials during a closed-door meeting with Volodymr Zelensky that US President Donald Trump was considering reducing US forces in European countries.
This information was confirmed to NBC News by five US officials and a person familiar with the meeting.
They noted that the Pentagon chief’s statement "stunned" the Ukrainian delegation, as Kiev viewed such prospects as a long-term security threat.
The US Department of Defense officially denied such remarks by Hegseth.
When asked by NBC News to comment on the information from the sources, a Pentagon spokesperson called it "100% false," adding that the defense chief "made no announcement on, nor provided a timeline for, a drawdown of US troops in Europe."
Last week, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth urged the EU to take on more responsibility for its defense. Following his statements and remarks from other US officials, Europe began to fear that Washington might scale back its troop presence on the continent.
However, the White House has not officially announced any such plans. In an interview with Bloomberg on February 17, NATO Military Committee Chair Giuseppe Cavo Dragone did not rule out the possibility of the US withdrawing some of its troops from Europe but emphasized that it would not completely leave the alliance.
On a similar note, last year, former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned that the country may need to send troops to Ukraine if President Donald Trump scales back US financial or military support.
In an interview for GB News, Johnson explained that failing to back Ukraine could lead to higher costs for the UK and pose a threat to European security, suggesting that in such a scenario, it would be preferable for Britain to deploy troops to fill the gap left by reduced US aid.
Trump staffers' purported plan to end the war in Ukraine involves freezing all conflict at the front lines. In creating an 800-mile Demilitarized Zone, the US would not send troops to keep charge of it, nor pay for it.
