US troop withdrawals from Europe don’t harm NATO defences, says top commander
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NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General Alexus Grynkewich, taking part in a press conference at NATO headquarters in Brussels on May 19.
PHOTO: AFP
- NATO's top commander, US Gen Grynkewich, said President Trump's withdrawal of 5,000 troops from Germany does not hurt alliance defences.
- The sudden withdrawal, after an Iran war spat, worried allies about Trump's NATO commitment, despite prior US warnings of redeployments.
- Europe will seek to smooth relations at a foreign ministers' meeting and plans to show increased defence spending at a July Trump summit.
AI generated
BRUSSELS - NATO’s top commander said on May 19 that US President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany does not hurt the alliance’s defences, and warned more redeployments should be expected.
“I’d like to emphasise this decision does not impact the executability of our regional plans,” US General Alexus Grynkewich, NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe, told journalists.
“As allies build up their capability, the United States is able to pull capability back and use it for other global priorities, so I’m very comfortable with where we are,” he added.
The sudden move from Washington followed a spat between Mr Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over the war in Iran and caught allies unaware.
But the Trump administration had long been telling European countries that the United States was looking to pull out forces as it focuses on other threats around the world.
“We should expect there to be a redeployment of US forces over time as allies build their capacity,” Gen Grynkewich said.
“I can’t really give you an exact timeline, it’s going to be an ongoing process for several years.”
While European NATO members have downplayed the impact of the US withdrawal, the abrupt manner of the announcement has reinforced worries over Mr Trump’s commitment to the alliance.
The US president has lashed out at Europe over its response to his war with Iran and threatened repeatedly that he could consider quitting NATO.
Europe will seek to smooth over the bad blood at a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Sweden later this week that will include US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The alliance is gearing up for a summit with Mr Trump in Turkey in July at which it wants to showcase Europe’s increase in defence spending to keep the US leader happy. AFP
