A high-ranking official, who wished to remain anonymous, specified that no decision had been made yet and the White House had not ordered the Pentagon to prepare specific plans for the reduction of troops on the continent.
According to Reuters, relations between Washington and European allies in NATO have deteriorated significantly in recent months. Secretary General Mark Rutte’s visit to the White House on Wednesday apparently did not bring significant improvement.
The White House publicly stated that Trump was also considering a complete withdrawal from the alliance. The withdrawal of part of the troops would allow him to significantly limit the security obligations of the USA in Europe without formally withdrawing from NATO, which would also be a test of constitutional law.
The US currently has around 80,000 soldiers in Europe. More than thirty thousand soldiers are located in Germany, others in Italy, the United Kingdom and Spain.
