[Text/Observer Network, Zhang Jingjuan] The German business newspaper Handelsblatt cited remarks from a senior European diplomat saying that the United States is expected to announce a reduction in its military deployment in Europe in the coming months. According to reports, Washington also has to balance other global priorities, including countering China.

The EU sources contacted by the newspaper revealed that this withdrawal may be related to the new US defense strategy, which is expected to be completed by late summer.

Elbridge Colby, the deputy assistant secretary of defense for policy affairs nominated by Trump, told Handelsblatt in an interview that the US needs to focus on countering China as it is not yet prepared for potential confrontation with China.

According to RT, since NBC reported in April that the US was considering withdrawing up to 10,000 troops from Eastern Europe, rumors about possible US troop withdrawals have been circulating in the media. A US defense strategy report leaked in March also mentioned that the US should move its European forces closer to Asia, forcing European countries to fill the gap. President Trump later confirmed that he was considering partial troop withdrawals but did not provide details on the scale or timeline.

In mid-May, US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker said that the US would discuss reducing its military presence in Europe with its European allies later this year. In response to reports that the Trump administration was considering withdrawing troops from Europe, he said that no decision had been made yet, but once a decision was reached, negotiations would take place within the NATO framework. Relevant discussions would certainly start after the June NATO summit, possibly at the end of the year. All allies were ready. Whitaker emphasized at the time that the US would no longer tolerate any procrastination.

On March 25, 2022, Vilnius, Poland, former US President Biden visited Poland and met with US troops. IC Photo.

Handelsblatt reported that German Chancellor Friedrich Merz publicly denied rumors of US troop withdrawals during his visit to Lithuania this week. At a press conference held with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius, he said, "There are currently no indications that the US will withdraw troops from Europe."

Reports said that although the specific scale of the US troop withdrawal is still unclear, NATO is preparing for this possible move. According to Defense News, since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, NATO countries have increased their defense spending, and now 22 out of 32 member states meet the "minimum defense spending standard" (2% of GDP).

A report released by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) in mid-May pointed out that if the US withdraws troops from Europe, Europe would need to invest $1 trillion over the next 25 years to fully support and protect itself without US assistance. Of this, the one-time equipment procurement cost ranges between $226 billion and $344 billion, and there are also additional costs such as maintenance, personnel, and logistics.

However, this huge budget can only fill the visible gap in European defense, as this assessment does not include other major unquantifiable capability gaps, such as command and control, joint operations, space capabilities, intelligence monitoring, and nuclear weapons costs.

According to data from the US European Command, as of early 2025, nearly 84,000 US troops are stationed in Europe, with Germany and Poland being the regions with the most concentrated deployments, and Romania, Estonia, and Lithuania having smaller-scale deployments.

In response to the US intention to withdraw troops while linking it to China, our Foreign Ministry has clearly stated that the US comments regarding customizing challenges posed by China reflect the dark mentality and deeply entrenched Cold War zero-sum thinking of some individuals, which undermines mutual trust between the two countries and is detrimental to coordination and cooperation between the two countries on international and regional issues.

This article is an exclusive contribution from the Observer Network and cannot be reprinted without permission.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7508956629853831731/

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