NATO’s top military commander said Tuesday he does not expect additional US troop withdrawals from Europe in the near term beyond the 5,000 soldiers already announced by President Donald Trump.
US Lt. Gen. Alex Grynkewich made the remarks at NATO headquarters in Brussels during a meeting of senior military officials from the alliance’s 32 member states.
His comments follow Trump’s surprise decision earlier this month to scale back US military presence in Europe, a move made amid rising tensions with allies over the Iran war and broader policy disagreements.
“It will be 5,000 troops coming out of Europe. That’s all I’m expecting in the near term,” Grynkewich said.
The Pentagon has clarified that the reduction mainly involves cancelling planned deployments to Poland and Germany, rather than pulling out forces already stationed in Europe.
The move has sparked concern among US lawmakers from both parties, who argued it was made without proper consultation with Congress and could send the wrong signal to allies.
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said the military has reduced the number of brigade combat teams assigned to Europe from four to three, leading to a “temporary delay” in troop deployment to Poland, which he described as a key US ally.
He added that final decisions on troop placement will depend on further review of US strategic needs and the ability of European allies to contribute more to their own defense.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also spoke with Polish Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz on Tuesday, with Washington assuring Warsaw that it will maintain a strong military presence in Poland.
Trump’s announcement had caught NATO allies off guard, despite earlier US commitments to coordinate closely on major military adjustments.
The plan includes halting the deployment of about 4,000 troops from the US Army’s 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division to Poland, as well as stopping the movement of long-range missile units to Germany.
In some cases, soldiers were informed shortly before departure that they would no longer be travelling to Europe, according to US military officials.
Grynkewich said he had also spoken with military leaders from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland about possible adjustments to NATO’s eastern flank, which borders Russia.
Concerns have been raised in the Baltic states over the cancellation of troop rotations. Estonian officials described the move as a setback but said it would not undermine NATO’s overall deterrence in the region.
Lithuania said the issue appears to be technical and expressed hope that US troops will remain in the country as planned.
Despite the changes, Grynkewich stressed that European security would not be weakened, though he warned that further US troop adjustments are likely in the coming years as European allies take on more responsibility for their own defense.
He said the process will continue gradually but added that coordination with allies will remain close.