The White House has blocked a proposal by U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to announce additional reductions in the American military presence in Europe, exposing internal disagreements within the Trump administration over the future of U.S. forces on the continent.
According to people familiar with the discussions, Hegseth had planned to unveil further troop cuts during last month's meeting of NATO's top military leaders in Brussels. The proposal reportedly went beyond the previously canceled deployment of an armored brigade to Poland and the earlier withdrawal of an infantry brigade from Romania. However, after being reviewed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who also serves as President Donald Trump's national security adviser, and other senior administration officials, the plan was rejected.
Rather than announcing immediate reductions, Hegseth told NATO allies that the Pentagon would conduct a comprehensive review of the U.S. military presence in Europe, a process expected to take up to six months.
The episode highlights continuing divisions within the administration over both the scale and timing of any future troop withdrawals. President Trump has repeatedly argued that NATO allies should bear greater responsibility for their own defense and has warned that countries failing to increase defense spending or support key U.S. foreign policy objectives, including actions involving Iran, should face consequences.
