President Trump suggests troop deployments could be tied to trade deals with allies.
President Trump hinted that the U.S. might link the cost of stationing American troops in Europe and elsewhere to trade negotiations, potentially asking NATO allies to pay more or even withdrawing forces. This could be part of a larger strategy involving his tariff policies.
According to an NBC News report, the U.S. is considering removing as many as 10,000 troops from Eastern Europe. Sources indicated that while the exact number is still under consideration, the plan could affect U.S. forces in Romania and Poland, two NATO countries near Russia.
When asked on Wednesday about potential troop reductions in Europe or other NATO countries, Trump didn’t dismiss the idea.
“Well, I could. I mean, it depends. We pay for military over in Europe. We don’t get reimbursed by much,” Trump told reporters at the White House.
It would be one of the things we discuss. That’s unrelated to trade, but I think we’ll make it part of it because it makes sense. [It would be] nice to wrap it all up in one package for each country. You know, it’s nice and clean.
As of early 2025, nearly 84,000 U.S. troops were stationed in Europe, primarily in Germany and Poland, with smaller deployments in Romania, Estonia, and Lithuania, according to U.S. European Command.
NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, General Christopher Cavoli, cautioned on Tuesday against reducing the troop levels that the Pentagon increased under former President Biden after the Ukraine conflict escalated in 2022.
“It’s my advice to maintain that force posture as it is now,” Cavoli told a House Armed Services Committee hearing.
In response, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Wednesday that President Trump will ultimately decide the structure of U.S. forces in Europe.
“And we will continue to have ongoing discussions, including inside the context of Ukraine-Russia negotiations, about what our force posture should be on the continent – a posture that best addresses American interests and ensures burden sharing in Europe as well,” he added.
Trump has consistently criticized European NATO members for not meeting defense spending targets, as the U.S. is the alliance’s largest financial contributor. The troop reduction discussions come as the Trump administration continues to urge European allies to take greater responsibility for their own defense.
Moscow has frequently voiced strong concerns regarding NATO expansion and its military activities near Russia’s borders. After Washington began talks with Russia to pursue a ceasefire in the Ukraine conflict and restore bilateral relations, Moscow welcomed what it perceived as a U.S. willingness to examine the underlying causes of the crisis, including Ukraine’s ambitions to join the NATO alliance.
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