Europe privately begins preparing for reduction of US military presence - Euractiv
European NATO allies have begun private preparations for how the Alliance should respond to a potential reduction of US troops on the continent.
This is stated in the material of Euractiv, Censor.NET reports.
Thus, Europe is convinced that Donald Trump will reduce the number of troops deployed in Europe - about 80 thousand people - and redirect them to Asia and the Middle East.
Consequently, military planners in the Alliance are discussing three questions: how many US troops will be withdrawn, how abrupt the withdrawal will be, and whether Europeans are capable of replacing the withdrawn Americans.
"The question is not whether there will be a withdrawal of U.S. troops, but how orderly it can be done without jeopardizing the Alliance's existing defense plans," a NATO diplomat explained.
The publication notes that the Alliance revised its defense plans only last year. They rely heavily on U.S. weapons, airpower, and tens of thousands of U.S. troops.
The countries on NATO's eastern flank are worried about a possible sudden withdrawal of US troops and are privately calling for preparations to be made for a possible significant reduction in the US role.
"The withdrawal of U.S. troops is also expected to affect major U.S. military bases in Germany and Italy, which have been the backbone of U.S. forward military operations," the article says.
The defense ministries of the countries say that European forces are still far from replacing the current US forces, as they do not have the same capabilities as the United States, in particular, air forces, logistics and satellite systems.
U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker said just before the NATO summit that the Pentagon's assessment of the deployment of U.S. troops in Europe is expected to be "completed by late summer or early fall."
