According to a high-ranking official of the White House, US President Donald Trump discussed with advisers the possible withdrawal of some US troops from Europe. This is due to the failure of NATO allies to help secure passage through the Strait of Hormuz, as well as frustration over the failure of his plan to take control of Greenland. This was reported by the Reuters agency on Thursday, writes TASR.
The decision has not yet been made and the Pentagon has not been instructed to prepare concrete plans to reduce the military presence in Europe. However, according to the source, the discussions point to a significant cooling of relations between Washington and the European allies, which in recent months have reached the lowest level since the creation of NATO in 1949.
The United States currently has more than 80,000 troops in Europe, including over 30,000 in Germany. Other units are located in Italy, the United Kingdom or Spain. US forces have played a key role in the European security architecture since World War II.
NATO did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The unnamed official did not say which countries could be affected by the potential withdrawal or how many troops could be moved if Trump decides to make the move.
The US president has long-term strained relations with NATO and repeatedly criticizes European countries for low defense spending. However, the last few months have been extremely turbulent – in January he reopened the issue of the annexation of Greenland, and since the start of the war with Iran on February 28, he has expressed frustration with the lack of support from allies in resuming navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, which is crucial for global supplies of oil, gas and fertilizers. Moreover, in a recent interview with the British newspaper Daily Telegraph, he admitted that he is seriously considering the withdrawal of the United States from NATO.
