Reducing number of US troops will not weaken Europe’s defenses - NATO General Grynkewich
Reducing the number of US troops in Europe will not undermine the continent's defense capabilities.
This was stated by the commander-in-chief of NATO's Allied Command Operations in Europe, US Air Force General Alexus Grynkewich , reports Censor.NET with reference to Politico.
Reduction of US troops in Europe
"I am confident in the capabilities of Europe and Canada. Today, we are prepared for any crisis or emergency," said the general.
According to Grynkewich, any political tension related to the peace talks "had no impact... on the ability to carry out the US mission from the point of view of NATO."
He added that allies' pledges to increase their defense spending mean that NATO "will be more ready tomorrow, and we will be more ready the day after tomorrow" to counter Russia and respond to any further troop withdrawals.
The publication notes that at the beginning of the year, the Trump administration considered not appointing a general to the position of Supreme Allied Commander Europe in early 2025 before nominating Grynkewich.
The position of Supreme Allied Commander Europe has always been held by an officer from the United States, which involves commanding all allied forces on the continent and overseeing nuclear deterrence capabilities.
"There is always a rebalancing of positions held by different countries in the alliance, so it is only natural that some of this will happen... over the next few months, a few years," Grynkewich said.
Threat from the Russian Federation
Grynkewich said he was "concerned" that Russia could test NATO's collective defense "in the near future," as well as in the "medium and, obviously, long term."
Russia's hybrid attacks are a "real problem," he stressed, and repeated the call from several European capitals to respond more decisively to hybrid activities.
What preceded it?
- It was recently announced that the United States will reduce its military contingent in Romania. This was reported by the press service of the country's Ministry of Defense.
- Washington has informed Bucharest of a review of the number of US troops stationed on NATO's eastern flank as part of a process to reassess the global posture of the US armed forces.
- "Among the brigade units that will cease rotations in Europe are forces assigned to Romania, located at the Mihail Kogălniceanu base," the statement said.
- We previously reported that NATO will test the latest drones in Latvia as part of a military experiment.
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US President Donald Trump, commenting on the decision to reduce the number of American troops in Romania, said that this only meant a "relocation" of forces.
