(The Center Square) – The Pentagon appears poised to reduce the number of American troops in Europe, in a further attempt to pressure NATO nations to take a more active role in their own defense.
The latest move comes as the Department of War announced it is reducing the number of Brigade Combat Teams, comprising of 4,000-5,000 troops, from four to three BCTs. The Pentagon says the reduction returns BCT levels in Europe to those in 2021, prior to the Russia-Ukraine war.
kAm%96 !6?E28@? :?5:42E65 E96 >@G6 4@F=5 C6DF=E :? 2 “E6>A@C2CJ 56=2J” :? E96 56A=@J>6?E @7 &]$] 7@C46D E@ !@=2?5[ 56D4C:3:?8 E96 t2DE6C? tFC@A62? 4@F?ECJ 2D 2 “>@56=” 2==J @7 E96 &]$]k^Am
kAm!@=2?5 4FCC6?E=J =625D }p%~ ?2E:@?D :? tFC@A6 :? 8C@DD 5@>6DE:4 AC@5F4E Wvs!X DA6?5:?8 @? 5676?D6]k^Am
kAm{2DE >@?E9[ %96 r6?E6C $BF2C6 2D<65 !C6D:56?E s@?2=5 %CF>A :7 96 H2D 4@?D:56C:?8 AF==:?8 EC@@AD 7C@> xE2=J 2?5 $A2:? 7@==@H:?8 2? 2??@F?465 EC@@A C65F4E:@? 7C@> v6C>2?J[ :? A2CE 4:E:?8 C6=F4E2?46 E@ DFAA@CE &]$] >:=:E2CJ 24E:G:E:6D :? xC2?]k^Am
kAm“*629[ AC@323=J H:==] (9J D9@F=5?’E xn xE2=J 92D ?@E 366? @7 2?J 96=A] $A2:? 92D 366? 9@CC:3=6] p3D@=FE6=J[” E96 AC6D:56?E E@=5 %96 r6?E6C $BF2C6 :? C6DA@?D6]k^Am
kAmsFC:?8 2 (9:E6 w@FD6 AC6DD 3C:67:?8 %F6D52J[ ':46 !C6D:56?E ys '2?46 E@=5 C6A@CE6CD E92E E96 &]$] D9@F=5 6?4@FC286 tFC@A62? 4@F?EC:6D E@ E2<6 “2 =:EE=6 3:E >@C6 @H?6CD9:A @G6C E96:C 4@?E:?6?E2= :?E68C:EJ]”k^Am
More from this section
kAm%96 !6?E28@? 649@65 E96 G:46 AC6D:56?E’D 4@>>6?ED[ D2J:?8 E92E E96 &]$] :D 9@A:?8 E96 >@G6 H:== AFD9 E96 “:?46?E:G:K:?8 2?5 6?23=:?8” @7 “}p%~ 2==:6D E@ E2<6 AC:>2CJ C6DA@?D:3:=:EJ 7@C tFC@A6’D 4@?G6?E:@?2= 5676?D6]”k^Am
kAm$64C6E2CJ @7 (2C !6E6 w68D6E9 4C65:E65 !@=2?5 7@C 56>@?DEC2E:?8 :ED 23:=:EJ E@ 5676?5 :ED @H? 3@C56C[ 9@A:?8 !@=2?5 H@F=5 D6CG6 2D 2? 6I2>A=6 7@C @E96C }p%~ ?2E:@?D] %96C6 2C6 4FCC6?E=J 23@FE `_[___ p>6C:42? EC@@AD D6CG:?8 :? !@=2?5 @? 2 C@E2E:?8 32D:D]k^Am
kAm{2DE >@?E9[ E96 !6?E28@? 2??@F?465 :E H2D C65F4:?8 &]$] EC@@AD :? v6C>2?J 3J d[___ H:E9:? E96 ?6IE J62C[ H:E9 E96 A@DD:3:=:EJ @7 7FCE96C C65F4E:@?D]k^Am
kAmv6C>2?J :D 4FCC6?E=J 9@>6 E@ >@C6 E92? be[___ p>6C:42? EC@@AD[ E96 =2C86DE A@AF=2E:@? :? tFC@A6] x? 4@>A2C:D@?[ xE2=J :D 9@>6 E@ ?62C=J `b[___ EC@@AD 2?5 $A2:? 92D ?62C=J c[___[ 244@C5:?8 E@ &$p u24ED]k^Am
kAm%96 AC6D:56?E 92D 366? 2E @55D H:E9 >2?J tFC@A62? =6256CD[ :?4=F5:?8 v6C>2? r92?46==@C uC:65C:49 |6CK[ @G6C E96 H2C :? xC2?] $:?46 E96 DEC:<6D 3682? u63] ag[ %CF>A 92D 6IAC6DD65 566A 7CFDEC2E:@? H:E9 }p%~ 4@F?EC:6D @G6C E96:C =24< @7 DFAA@CE 7@C E96 &]$] DEC:<6D @? xC2?[ 56DA:E6 E96 &]$] DFAA@CE 7@C &<C2:?6 :? :ED H2C H:E9 #FDD:2]k^Am
kAmx? 255:E:@? E@ E9C62E6?:?8 E@ C65F46 @C C6>@G6 p>6C:42? EC@@AD 7C@> D@>6 tFC@A62? 4@F?EC:6D[ E96 AC6D:56?E 92D 5:D4FDD65 2 56D:C6 E@ AF== @FE @7 }p%~ 2=E@86E96C]k^Am