Pentagon Prepares Proposals for Troop Reductions in Europe

The Pentagon is preparing at least four options for a possible reduction in the U.S. military presence in Europe.

This was reported by Reuters, citing a document from the U.S. Department of Defense.

According to the document, the proposals must be submitted by November 6, well ahead of the scheduled completion date of the six-month review in December.

The document notes that a key preparatory meeting involving the commander of U.S. forces in Europe and the Pentagon’s deputy chief of staff for policy, Elbridge Colby, will take place by September 18.

As part of these coordination efforts, Colby will also meet with NATO ambassadors at the alliance’s headquarters in Brussels.

At the same time, European officials are expressing skepticism about the review and suggest that the decision to reduce the U.S. presence has, in fact, already been made.

In addition, U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration sent NATO allies a special questionnaire to assess their loyalty to U.S. foreign policy.