NATO under threat? Pentagon considers pulling up to 40,000 US troops from Europe
The options under consideration form part of a comprehensive six-month review ordered by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to realign American military posture under the Trump administration's policy framework.
- Sep 18, 2026,
- Updated Sep 18, 2026 3:41 PM IST
The Pentagon is considering a significant reduction of US military forces stationed in Europe, weighing plans to pull between 25,000 and 40,000 service members alongside key naval, aerial, and ground assets, according to a report by NBC News.
The proposal, if implemented, would mark one of the largest drawdowns of the American military presence on the continent since the end of the Cold War, effectively scaling back the current footprint of roughly 80,000 troops by nearly half.
Sweeping posture review
The options under consideration form part of a comprehensive six-month review ordered by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to realign American military posture under the administration's policy framework. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, commander of US European Command and NATO's supreme allied commander, is expected to present an initial force assessment on Friday.
A final recommendation is slated for Hegseth by early November before any policy is formally submitted to President Donald Trump for approval. Nations hosting sizeable American installations — including Germany, Italy, and Spain — are anticipated to be among the most directly impacted by potential force adjustments, though some options reportedly include repositioning select units closer to NATO’s eastern flank rather than sending them entirely back to the US.
Rising risks along NATO's eastern flank
The force posture review unfolds against a backdrop of escalating security concerns across Central and Eastern Europe, where alliance members face a growing threat of the Russia-Ukraine war spilling over into neighboring territory.
Frontline NATO members have increasingly raised alarms regarding Russian hybrid activities, including repeated airspace violations, stray missile and drone incursions, and targeted sabotage attempts against critical national infrastructure.
Defense officials and diplomatic leaders across the continent have expressed concern that a sudden or drastic US withdrawal could undermine collective deterrence capabilities at a crucial moment, potentially signaling weakness to Moscow during a period of intense volatility along the border regions.
Trump's mandate on NATO & burden-sharing
The proposed drawdown aligns directly with President Donald Trump's long-standing stand on NATO and trans-Atlantic defense obligations. Trump has consistently argued that European nations must take primary responsibility for their own conventional security, maintaining that the US has historically carried a disproportionate share of both financial costs and operational burdens.
From Washington's perspective, shifting force allocations away from Europe is also seen as a necessary move to free up critical military readiness, logistical support, and high-value strategic assets needed to address geopolitical pressures elsewhere — most notably in the Indo-Pacific region as a counterweight to China.
Europe ramps up defense investments
In response to pressure from Washington and the reality of an active war on their continent, European governments have significantly accelerated their national defense commitments. NATO allies have achieved historic increases in military spending, with the majority of member states now meeting or exceeding the alliance's benchmark of spending at least 2% of GDP on defense.
Across Europe, governments are directing billions into broad rearmament programmes — expanding domestic munitions production, procuring advanced combat platforms, and filling critical capability gaps in long-range precision fires, air defense networks, and satellite reconnaissance.
However, military analysts and European officials emphasize that while defense budgets are expanding at a record pace, developing fully independent operational capabilities will take years, making any rapid reduction of American troops a critical factor in the continent's short-term security calculations.
The Pentagon is considering a significant reduction of US military forces stationed in Europe, weighing plans to pull between 25,000 and 40,000 service members alongside key naval, aerial, and ground assets, according to a report by NBC News.
The proposal, if implemented, would mark one of the largest drawdowns of the American military presence on the continent since the end of the Cold War, effectively scaling back the current footprint of roughly 80,000 troops by nearly half.
Sweeping posture review
The options under consideration form part of a comprehensive six-month review ordered by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to realign American military posture under the administration's policy framework. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, commander of US European Command and NATO's supreme allied commander, is expected to present an initial force assessment on Friday.
A final recommendation is slated for Hegseth by early November before any policy is formally submitted to President Donald Trump for approval. Nations hosting sizeable American installations — including Germany, Italy, and Spain — are anticipated to be among the most directly impacted by potential force adjustments, though some options reportedly include repositioning select units closer to NATO’s eastern flank rather than sending them entirely back to the US.
Rising risks along NATO's eastern flank
The force posture review unfolds against a backdrop of escalating security concerns across Central and Eastern Europe, where alliance members face a growing threat of the Russia-Ukraine war spilling over into neighboring territory.
Frontline NATO members have increasingly raised alarms regarding Russian hybrid activities, including repeated airspace violations, stray missile and drone incursions, and targeted sabotage attempts against critical national infrastructure.
Defense officials and diplomatic leaders across the continent have expressed concern that a sudden or drastic US withdrawal could undermine collective deterrence capabilities at a crucial moment, potentially signaling weakness to Moscow during a period of intense volatility along the border regions.
Trump's mandate on NATO & burden-sharing
The proposed drawdown aligns directly with President Donald Trump's long-standing stand on NATO and trans-Atlantic defense obligations. Trump has consistently argued that European nations must take primary responsibility for their own conventional security, maintaining that the US has historically carried a disproportionate share of both financial costs and operational burdens.
From Washington's perspective, shifting force allocations away from Europe is also seen as a necessary move to free up critical military readiness, logistical support, and high-value strategic assets needed to address geopolitical pressures elsewhere — most notably in the Indo-Pacific region as a counterweight to China.
Europe ramps up defense investments
In response to pressure from Washington and the reality of an active war on their continent, European governments have significantly accelerated their national defense commitments. NATO allies have achieved historic increases in military spending, with the majority of member states now meeting or exceeding the alliance's benchmark of spending at least 2% of GDP on defense.
Across Europe, governments are directing billions into broad rearmament programmes — expanding domestic munitions production, procuring advanced combat platforms, and filling critical capability gaps in long-range precision fires, air defense networks, and satellite reconnaissance.
However, military analysts and European officials emphasize that while defense budgets are expanding at a record pace, developing fully independent operational capabilities will take years, making any rapid reduction of American troops a critical factor in the continent's short-term security calculations.