The Pentagon plans to cut its participation in elements of NATO’s force structure and a range of the alliance’s advisory groups, the latest sign of the Trump administration’s drive to scale back the U.S. military presence in Europe, according to multiple officials familiar with the matter.
The impending move will affect about 200 military personnel and diminish U.S. involvement in nearly 30 NATO organizations, including its Centers of Excellence, which seek to train NATO forces on various areas of warfare, these people said. They spoke on the condition of anonymity to detail the U.S. administration’s plans.
Rather than withdraw all at once, the Pentagon intends not to replace personnel as their postings end, a process that could take years, according to two U.S. officials familiar with the matter. U.S. participation in the centers isn’t ending altogether, the people said.
Among the advisory groups facing cuts are those dedicated to the alliance’s energy security and naval warfare, according to three officials.
The Pentagon will also reduce its involvement in official NATO organizations dedicated to special operations and intelligence, two officials said, though one noted that some of those U.S. functions will be shifted elsewhere within the alliance, limiting the move’s impact.
The change has been under consideration for months, according to two U.S. officials, one of whom said it is unrelated to President Donald Trump’s escalating threats to seize the Danish territory of Greenland. Trump’s provocations have drawn widespread condemnation from European leaders and many lawmakers in Congress, who fear the president risks causing irreparable and unnecessary damage to the NATO alliance.
During a White House news conference Tuesday, Trump said his administration would “work something out where NATO is going to be very happy and we’re going to be very happy” with regard to Greenland. He added that the United States needs the territory “for security purposes.”
The president’s vow to take control of the territory — despite the Danish government having repeatedly said it is not for sale — has created NATO’s foremost internal crisis in decades. Members of the alliance recently deployed military forces to the island in a bid to demonstrate that they take seriously Trump’s concerns about Greenland’s vulnerability, but the effort has failed to sway the American leader.
Trump, who has been emboldened to take further military action around the world after a stunning raid to apprehend Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in recent weeks, was asked Tuesday how far he would go in his bid to take over the Danish territory.
“You’ll find out,” he said.
A Pentagon spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In a statement, a spokesperson for NATO said that “adjustments to US force posture and staffing are not unusual” and that the alliance was in “close contact” with Washington about its overall distribution of forces.
Since Trump returned to office, the U.S. military has pulled back from Europe as the administration presses allies there to take greater control of the continent’s collective defense. Last year, for instance, the Pentagon abruptly announced it would withdraw a brigade of troops from Romania and cut security aid programs to the three Baltic nations that border Russia, whose years-long invasion of Ukraine has spurred fears of a direct conflict between NATO and the Kremlin.
Under pressure from the Trump administration, the alliance agreed last summer to surge defense spending to 5 percent of GDP over the next 10 years, including 1.5 percent dedicated to infrastructure and other civilian projects.
Lawmakers — including some key Republicans — objected to the administration’s moves in Europe and are working to fund the affected security assistance programs despite the Pentagon’s directives.
Members of Congress also have passed legislation that requires the Pentagon to consult with them before making any major reductions to U.S. military posture in Europe. The law specifies that requirement would apply only if the overall U.S. force posture in Europe were to fall below 76,000. It stands at roughly 80,000 now.
While the personnel eventually being withdrawn amount to a small share of troops the U.S. stations in Europe, some current and former officials said the U.S. pullout could have an outsize impact on the alliance by reducing valuable American military expertise.
“We have a lot of operational experience that some of our personnel contribute to these centers,” said Lauren Speranza, a senior Pentagon official during the Biden administration. “There would be a bit of a brain drain that would come with pulling U.S. personnel out.”
Susannah George and Michael Birnbaum contributed to this report.
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