US kicks off review of its force posture in Europe

The United States on Tuesday launched the country’s Europe posture review that will determine the number of American troops and military assets on the continent, a top U.S. defense official said. “This will be a real review, designed to ensure that NATO is moving fast and irreversibly toward Europe taking primary responsibility for its conventional defense,” U.S. Undersecretary for Defense Elbridge Colby posted on X. The six-month review was first announced by U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in June during a NATO ministerial meeting. The move comes as Washington has already moved to withdraw soldiers from Germany and reduce its contributions to NATO force-planning requirements, including high-end assets such as fighter aircraft, airborne refueling tankers, maritime patrol planes and naval capabilities. “The outcome of this review will be an acceleration of NATO’s transition to a stronger, more equitable, and sustainable alliance,” Colby, who coined the term NATO 3.0, said. “This will put NATO on the track for lasting, sustained success, especially as we confront simultaneous challenges across theaters.” Eastern flank countries are already lobbying Washington to maintain troops and military assets on their soil. Poland is actively engaging with the U.S. administration to obtain a permanent American presence: The Polish defense ministry said last week a draft law was already ready to assess how to finance American military bases. Washington will work with NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe, Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, on the review and consult with European allies and Congress, which has mandated a minimum number of U.S. troops that must remain in Europe.