NATO leader Mark Rutte on Wednesday sought to calm European concerns about planned reductions in the US military presence on the continent, saying the cuts would not damage allied defensive readiness.
Rutte told reporters that the announced movement of about 4,000 to 5,000 troops involves rotational forces and “does not have an impact on NATO’s defense plans.”
His remarks came after US President Donald Trump reacted angrily to comments by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz about the US‑Israeli war in Iran. In response, Trump said the United States would immediately withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany — a step experts say would be difficult to execute and would significantly limit US power projection, since many of those forces are stationed as forward units ready to deploy to Africa and the Middle East rather than for Germany’s direct defense.
Senior US officials have since tried to clarify the situation. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have both addressed confusion around the president’s statements. Vance said a planned deployment of 4,000 troops to Poland has been delayed, not canceled, while Rubio is scheduled to meet European NATO members in Sweden this week to discuss the issue.
Rutte noted that the US has been gradually rebalancing its posture toward other theaters, particularly Asia, for more than a decade. “We know that adjustments will take place. The US has to pivot more towards, for example, Asia. This will take place over time and in a structured way,” he said.
The Pentagon confirmed plans to reduce the number of US brigade formations in Europe from four to three, which would return troop levels to roughly those of 2021.
Beyond permanent troop counts, European allies are also awaiting a US announcement on how many forces the United States would make available to NATO during a crisis. Officials expect details to be discussed at a Brussels meeting of senior defense representatives on Friday.
Rutte said negotiations over the US contribution to NATO’s force model have been under way for more than a year and are linked to the sharp rises in European defense spending. “This is normal business,” he said. “So this was to be expected. I think it is only right that this happens.”
Trump has repeatedly accused allies of freeloading on US defense commitments and has at times threatened to leave the alliance. Those threats have prompted NATO members to raise defense budgets and to consider how best to shore up their own capabilities amid uncertainty about long‑term US commitments.
Edited by: Wesley Dockery