The United States is preparing to dramatically reduce the military assets it commits to defending Europe, with cuts ranging from 33% to 50% across key wartime capabilities pledged to NATO.
Among the most striking changes: strategic bombers allocated to NATO would be cut in half, fighter jet commitments reduced by roughly one-third, and submarines removed entirely from the alliance’s crisis response plans.
What actually happened
The Pentagon reportedly communicated these planned reductions to NATO allies during a closed-door meeting on May 20. The briefing laid out a sweeping restructuring of American military posture in Europe, driven by the Trump administration’s broader strategy to reallocate defense resources toward the Indo-Pacific region.
The US already withdrew approximately 5,000 troops from Germany earlier in May 2026. No public timelines have been disclosed. No financial details about the transition have been shared.
