U.S. Air Force General Alexus Grynkewich, commander of the U.S. European Command and NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), testifies before a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the "posture of the U.S. European Command and U.S. Transportation Command in review of the Defense Authorization Request", on Capitol Hill

NATO expects US troop cuts from Europe to take years

By Reuters May 19, 2026

Summary

• Comments come after U.S. announced cut of 5,000 troops
• Move will not affect NATO defence plans, commander says
• Europeans fear hasty exit could expose them ​to Russian attack

BRUSSELS, May 19 (Reuters) - The U.S. will pull more troops from Europe but ‌the process will stretch over years to give allies time to develop capabilities to replace them, NATO's top commander said on Tuesday.

U.S. Air Force General Alexus Grynkewich was speaking after decisions by U.S. President ​Donald Trump's administration to withdraw some 5,000 troops from Germany and cancel deployment of ​long-range Tomahawk missiles.

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European officials were surprised by the timing of the troop ⁠announcement and by U.S. officials linking it to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's criticism of ​the U.S. strategy in the Iran war.

Speaking to reporters after a meeting of NATO military chiefs ​in Brussels, Grynkewich said the decision was the only such move he was aware of "in the near-term" and would not affect the alliance's ability to execute its defence plans.

European governments say they have heeded Trump's call ​to spend more on defence and take more responsibility for the continent's security. But ​they fear a hasty withdrawal of U.S. troops and weapons could leave Europe vulnerable to a military ‌attack from ⁠Russia, although Moscow denies any such intention.

DRAWDOWN TO TAKE YEARS

Grynkewich said there would be further withdrawals of U.S. troops in Europe, which number roughly 80,000, but that would happen as European forces grow to fill the gap.

"As the European pillar of the alliance gets stronger, ​this allows the ​U.S. to reduce its ⁠presence in Europe and limit itself to providing only those critical capabilities that allies cannot yet provide," said Grynkewich, NATO's Supreme Allied ​Commander.

"I can't really give you an exact timeline; it's going to ​be an ⁠ongoing process for several years," he added.

While Europe would take more responsibility for conventional defence, this would happen "with continued critical backing from American capabilities, which are being adjusted," Grynkewich said.

NATO relies ⁠on the ​U.S. for a range of critical capabilities such as ​command and control systems, satellite-based intelligence and communications, strategic bombers and the U.S. nuclear umbrella, officials and analysts say.

_{Reporting ​by Sabine Siebold, Lili Bayer, Andrew Gray and Inti Landauro, editing by Charlotte Van Campenhout}