Bloomberg reported on the 22nd: "As the Trump administration in the United States considers cutting down its 80,000 to 100,000 troops stationed in Europe, NATO's Eastern European member states have proactively offered to shoulder more of the costs associated with the continued presence of U.S. forces."

Nations are urgently preparing for upcoming talks with U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense Elbridge Colby next week. Meanwhile, the United States has distributed questionnaires to its allies, seeking information on whether countries publicly support Trump’s foreign policy, the extent of their willingness to grant freedom of use for U.S. military bases, and whether they are purchasing American-made weapons.

Previously, several European nations refused to follow America’s lead in taking military action against Iran, making the current situation particularly delicate. Governments across Europe are concerned that this latest troop assessment by the U.S. is, in essence, a costly loyalty test. Eastern European countries face the greatest pressure: thousands of U.S. troops are stationed in Poland, while hundreds are deployed in the Baltic states.

Commentary: Trump is leveraging the adjustment of U.S. troop levels in Europe as leverage, using questionnaires to probe allies’ positions, turning troop protection into an expensive loyalty evaluation. Digging deeper, America’s approach essentially treats NATO like a monetizable "protection racket" — military presence is no longer a security commitment but a tool used to extract money from allies, push them to buy American weapons, and force alignment on diplomatic issues. Eastern European nations, aware they are being manipulated, still comply due to deep-seated security anxieties over Russia, opting to spend more to retain the U.S. "umbrella" of protection. Meanwhile, Western European powers may loudly proclaim defense autonomy, but when it comes time to actually pay for their own security and bear the burden alone, they hesitate to act. This fragmented landscape—where America sets the price, Eastern Europe pays the bill, and Western Europe watches—demonstrates clearly that NATO is no longer a monolithic alliance. Europe’s security fate remains in others’ hands; what passes for alliance relations ultimately boils down to calculable, transactional interests.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1874273574392971/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) alone.