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By Gabe Whisnant
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The Trump administration plans to scale back the U.S. military forces that it would make available to NATO in a major crisis, three sources told Reuters, marking a significant shift in Washington’s commitment to the alliance.
The move, expected to be communicated to allies at a defense meeting in Brussels, would reduce the pool of U.S. capabilities designated for rapid deployment under NATO’s force planning system.
The decision underscores a broader push for European countries to assume primary responsibility for their own defense, potentially reshaping NATO’s crisis response and raising new concerns among allies about the reliability of U.S. support.
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Sources said the Pentagon has decided to significantly reduce the U.S. share of those forces, though the exact scale and timeline of the reduction remain unclear.
Newsweek has reached out to the Pentagon via email on Tuesday afternoon for comment.
Why Are US Troops Pulling Out of Europe?
The U.S. has long said it is looking at withdrawing a significant chunk of the roughly 80,000 American soldiers stationed in Europe, as Washington turns its gaze toward China's growing power in the Indo-Pacific and contends with the strain of two and a half months of war in the Middle East.
The move highlights a broader shift in American defense priorities and reinforces Trump’s long-standing view that allies should shoulder more of the burden for regional security.
“What we’re basically saying is, as the European pillar of the alliance gets stronger, this allows the U.S. to reduce its presence in Europe and limit itself to providing only those critical capabilities that allies cannot yet provide,” Supreme Allied Commander Europe General Alexus Grynkewich said in a press conference in Brussels on Tuesday. “So we should expect there to be a redeployment of U.S. forces over time as allies build their capacity.”
The planned reduction comes as NATO faces mounting internal strain, with some European governments already concerned that the United States could further scale back its military posture in the region.
Cuts Made In Germany
Trump has already said he will cut 5,000 soldiers from the vast U.S. presence in Germany, and left the door open to slicing this further—although this is seen as largely a reaction to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz criticizing the U.S.' war against Iran.
Rotation Halted to Poland
Last week, the U.S. also stopped a planned rotation of more than 4,000 American troops en route to Poland.
Why Are Troops in Eastern Europe?
U.S. forces stationed in Eastern Europe aim to deter a possible Russian invasion of countries close to Russian soil, like the Baltic states and Poland.
Poland also shares a border with Ukraine—which has warned other European nations will come under Russian attack if its defenses against Moscow's troops fall—and Belarus, a key Russian ally that allowed the Kremlin to use its territory to launch its war on Ukraine more than four years ago.
Eastern European countries are concerned that U.S. troop withdrawals from the continent, particularly from its eastern flank, could be seen by Moscow as a signal that the U.S. wouldn't come to their aid if Russian tanks roll over their borders.
Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Romania are all NATO members, and all countries in the alliance are obligated to come to their defense, however they see fit, if one nation is attacked. This is meant to discourage a potential enemy from attacking any member of the alliance, because they could be faced with the military strength of all 32 members, the most powerful of which is the U.S.
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U.S. Signals Shift in NATO Force Commitments
Adjusting the NATO Force Model has emerged as a key priority ahead of the alliance’s upcoming summit in Turkey in July, where leaders are expected to confront the implications of a reduced U.S. role in conventional defense planning.
While U.S. officials emphasize that the country will maintain its nuclear guarantee for NATO, analysts warn that scaling back conventional forces could complicate the alliance’s ability to respond quickly to crises and deepen uncertainty about its long-term cohesion.
What Has the Pentagon Said About NATO?
Pentagon Policy Chief Elbridge Colby has said the United States will continue to rely on its nuclear arsenal to protect NATO members, even as European allies take on greater responsibility for conventional forces.
Decreasing NATO Funding Proves Unpopular
Last week, dozens of House Republicans voted for an amendment that would decrease funding for NATO by $481 million. The measure, which was rejected 333-80, was part of a wider funding bill for Veterans Affairs.
Florida Representative Greg Steube, a Republican who pushed the amendment, said on X that those who voted against it wanted to "keep sending your tax dollars to NATO instead of prioritizing our own troops and military infrastructure."
What Has Trump Said About NATO?
Trump has in recent weeks intensified his criticism of NATO, repeatedly questioning whether the United States should remain in the alliance and suggesting that a potential exit remains on the table.
Trump has said a U.S. withdrawal is “beyond reconsideration,” underscoring how far his rhetoric has escalated beyond earlier complaints about defense spending and burden‑sharing. At the same time, officials have made clear that while no formal withdrawal process is underway, Trump continues to raise the issue in discussions with allies and senior leadership.
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Central to Trump’s argument is his belief that NATO allies have not supported the United States in moments of crisis, particularly during the recent war with Iran.
He has accused member countries of failing when “tested” and, in stark terms relayed by the White House, argued that “NATO turned their backs on the American people” during the war. Trump has linked that frustration to specific grievances, including allies’ reluctance to provide military backing or logistical access, reinforcing his long-standing claim that the alliance is not operating as a reciprocal partnership.
What's Next
Officials are expected to outline the shift at an upcoming meeting of defense policy chiefs, according to Reuters, offering allies their clearest indication yet that Washington is moving to rebalance its role in the alliance.
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