- Pentagon reduces European combat brigades from four to three, returning to pre-2022 levels.
- Poland deployment is delayed without notice to key Eastern European allies.
- Congress and NATO allies criticize lack of consultation over troop withdrawal decision.
- Drawdown risks emboldening Russia during the Ukraine war.
- U.S. shifts focus to China and Latin America under America First strategy.
The Pentagon announced Tuesday it is reducing the number of Brigade Combat Teams stationed in Europe from four to three, returning troop levels to those seen in 2021 and temporarily delaying a planned deployment of U.S. forces to Poland.
Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell said the decision was the result of a comprehensive, multi-layered review of the structure and deployment of U.S. forces in Europe.
The move reflects President Donald Trump's persistent pressure on NATO allies to take greater responsibility for Europe's conventional defense and spend more on their own security. It also follows the Pentagon's recent decision to halt a planned rotation of roughly 4,000 U.S. Army troops to Poland.
A strategic shift under America First
The reduction is framed by U.S. officials as reflecting Europe's growing self-reliance, not a reduced NATO commitment. The United States is rebalancing its focus toward China and Latin America, continuing a strategy accelerated under Trump.
"This analysis is designed to advance President Trump's America First agenda in Europe and other theaters, including by incentivizing and enabling our NATO allies to take primary responsibility for Europe's conventional defense," the Pentagon said in a statement.
A Brigade Combat Team typically consists of about 4,400 to 4,700 soldiers. The drawdown brings U.S. troop levels in Europe back to numbers seen before the Russia-Ukraine war prompted a buildup in 2022.
Congress and allies caught off guard
Congress and NATO allies have criticized the lack of consultation. The Republican chairmen of both Armed Services committees voiced alarm over the broader drawdown. "We are very concerned by the decision to withdraw a U.S. brigade from Germany," said Sen. Roger Wicker and Rep. Mike Rogers in a joint statement in response to the broader drawdown, adding that they expected the Pentagon to "engage with its oversight committees in the days and weeks ahead on this decision and its implications for U.S. deterrence and transatlantic security."
The notification process for allies was uneven. Poland received formal notification, although reports indicate the communication reached a Polish general's secure email system before defense leadership became aware of the decision. Lithuania, which hosts some forces connected to Poland rotations, said the U.S. had informed allies of a possible pause in deployments.
Polish Deputy Defense Minister Pawe? Zalewski said Warsaw plans to press U.S. officials in the coming days over the decision. "We will ask questions and I guess that we will get answers," Zalewski told Fox News Digital.
The unit affected was the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Cavalry Division, which had orders to relieve another armored unit already in Poland as part of a standard nine-month rotational assignment across NATO's eastern flank. Around 10,000 U.S. troops are typically stationed in Poland, most serving on rotational deployments.
Risks on the eastern flank
The drawdown risks emboldening Russia during the Ukraine war, forcing Eastern Europe to rely more on reduced American forces elsewhere on the continent. With the U.S. presence in Romania already drawn down to approximately 1,000 troops following a separate reduction last year, NATO allies on the eastern flank face growing pressure to fill any gaps with their own forces.
Parnell noted the temporary delay affects Poland, which he described as "a model US ally." The Pentagon said, "Poland has shown both the ability and resolve to defend itself. Other NATO allies should follow suit."
War Secretary Pete Hegseth spoke Tuesday with Polish Deputy Prime Minister W?adys?aw Kosiniak-Kamysz. The Pentagon said the U.S. would remain in close contact with Polish officials throughout the review process.
While the Pentagon maintains that U.S. troop levels in Europe still exceed pre-2022 numbers — between 80,000 and 100,000 — the partial withdrawal underscores a delicate balancing act. The United States must reassure NATO allies while reallocating resources to confront China and regional threats.
Earlier this month, the Pentagon announced it would withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany. The move followed a public spat between Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who criticized the U.S. war on Iran. The top U.S. military commander in Europe said the bulk of troops withdrawn are being drawn from an armored brigade that was in the process of deploying to Poland, as opposed to yanking forces already stationed in Poland and Germany.
As Europe watches and Russia waits, the question remains: Will NATO allies step up, or will the alliance's eastern flank grow dangerously thin?
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