Representatives of the US Department of Defense assured their European partners in the North Atlantic Alliance that the announced withdrawal of troops would take place gradually.
Seven anonymous representatives of European governments explained that the "signals" they are receiving from their counterparts at the Pentagon "do not indicate that there will be a significant withdrawal—at least not now."
"This administration has realized that a stable Europe is important to them too," one of the sources noted. He thus denied previous statements that Donald Trump's administration was planning a "massive" withdrawal of armed forces from Europe.
Instead, the Pentagon will make several targeted changes, and in addition to withdrawing smaller contingents, several others will rotate between bases. Most personnel and equipment will thus remain in Europe.
