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The Pentagon will cut its participation in a series of NATO advisory groups, in the latest sign of Trump’s increasing drive to scale back US military involvement in Europe, according to reports.
The Washington Post cited official sources who said the move was the latest sign of the Trump administration’s drive to scale back the US military presence in Europe.
The move will see about 200 military personnel stationed elsewhere and is set to impact the 30 NATO Centres of Excellence, which train allied forces in key elements of warfare such as Naval combat, the sources reportedly said.
The US military has increasingly pulled back from Europe under the Trump administration, with the withdrawal of a brigade of troops from Romania last year and funding cuts to security aid programmes for the tree Baltic states that border Russia.
Member nations have agreed to increase contributions to the alliance to five per cent of GDP over the next 10 years, under increasing pressure from the Trump administration.
However some in Washington oppose Trump’s new move, with lawmakers, including Republicans, working to fund the diminished security assistance programs despite the Pentagon’s new orders. Congress has also passed a law requiring the Pentagon to consult with them before making any major reductions to US military involvement in Europe.
US ‘force posture’ currently stands at 80,000 in Europe, the law means Pentagon would have to speak to congress if that figure were to fall below 76,000.
While the numbers of troops leaving Europe under the latest changes are small in comparison to overall US numbers in the continent, their leaving may have a large effect by removing American military expertise, leading to warnings of a “brain drain” of top personnel.
The move comes as Trump and NATO members clash over his stated aim of “acquiring” Greenland, something the president claims is key for US security.
During an earlier Truth Social spree, Trump posted an incendiary AI image showing him planting a US flag on Greenland as he is due to lock horns with European leaders in person at Davos tomorrow.
Another doctored picture showed European leaders, including Keir Starmer, in the Oval Office looking at a map where Greenland, Canada and Venezuela were all covered in the American flag.
