US made 'no decision' yet on cutting military presence in Europe, Pentagon says
The United States has not made a final decision on reducing its military presence in Europe, the Pentagon press office told Polish broadcaster TVP Info on April 8.
"No decision has been made yet," the Pentagon said. "The U.S. commitment to NATO is strong, but the U.S. expects European allies to lead Europe's conventional defense."
The statement follows a report by NBC News that senior U.S. defense officials are considering cutting as much as half of the 20,000 additional troops sent to Europe after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
U.S. forces remain stationed across Poland, Romania, and the Baltic states as part of NATO's deterrence and reassurance posture.
The possible drawdown comes as U.S. President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth press European allies to take greater responsibility for the continent's security.
The U.S. Army Europe and Africa Command announced on April 8 the relocation of American personnel and equipment from Poland's Rzeszow-Jasionka Airport, a key logistics hub for military aid to Ukraine.
The redeployment, which will move assets to other locations in Poland, follows months of planning and is part of a broader strategy to optimize U.S. military operations across the region.
The debate over troops and future U.S. involvement comes as NATO faces growing pressure to raise defense spending. Trump has called for increasing the alliance's benchmark from 2% to 5% of GDP, a target that far exceeds current commitments by most members.
Finland's Defense Minister Antti Hakkanen recently warned that Europe must create a clear, coordinated roadmap with Washington to assume a larger share of the defense burden.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said Trump remains supportive of NATO but expects a "realistic pathway" from allies to reduce dependency on the United States.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
