Pentagon reviews withdrawing up to 40,000 troops from Europe, alarming NATO allies

The Pentagon is reviewing options to withdraw 25,000 to 40,000 troops from Europe, potentially cutting the 80,000-strong U.S. presence by half. While President Donald Trump touts plans for a new permanent $4 billion Army base in Poland, other NATO allies express deep concern over their ability to deter Russia. Meanwhile, internal friction has emerged as Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen accuses the administration of excluding State Department diplomats from the review.

Lithuania troop rotation assurances

• ▪The United States has regularly deployed battalion-sized units of 1,000 or more troops to Lithuania since 2019, shifting to continuous rotational deployments following Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
• ▪Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys stated on September 17, 2026, that he received assurances from U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio that any reduction of American troops in Lithuania would be short-lived.

NATO ally concerns over drawdown

• ▪An International Institute for Strategic Studies assessment released in September 2026 warned of a capability-time mismatch, stating European land forces still lack sufficient personnel, artillery, air defenses, and ammunition to serve as NATO's conventional backbone.
• ▪European governments and U.S. lawmakers have expressed concern that a rapid withdrawal of U.S. forces could severely diminish NATO's capability to deter Russian military aggression.

State Department diplomatic exclusion

• ▪U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio warning that U.S. ambassadors and chiefs of mission in affected European countries have been excluded from the Pentagon's troop review consultations.
• ▪An anonymous State Department official disputed Senator Jeanne Shaheen's allegations, asserting that diplomats and ambassadors remain in regular contact with Department of Defense colleagues regarding the force posture review.

Poland permanent US base proposal

• ▪President Donald Trump announced on September 17, 2026, that the United States is nearing an agreement with Polish President Karol Nawrocki to establish a new, permanent U.S. Army base in Poland.
• ▪Poland has expressed readiness to spend approximately $4 billion to accommodate the proposed permanent United States military installation.

Pentagon Europe troop withdrawal review

• ▪The Pentagon's force posture review is evaluating whether European host nations align with United States priorities regarding base access and overflight rights during international crises.
• ▪The Pentagon is conducting a six-month review of the United States military presence in Europe, considering options to withdraw between 25,000 and 40,000 of the approximately 80,000 U.S. troops currently stationed on the continent.
• ▪Air Force General Alexus Grynkewich, head of U.S. European Command, is scheduled to submit an initial force posture assessment to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on September 18, 2026, with final recommendations due by November 6, 2026.