US troop withdrawal from Europe to take 'years' — general

Coverage Comparison

NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe, US Air Force General Alexus Grynkewich, said Tuesday that the United States will take 'several years' to withdraw its troops from Europe, according to multiple reports. The announcement follows US President Donald Trump's decision to pull about 5,000 troops from Germany and cancel the deployment of long-range Tomahawk missiles, as reported by Deutsche Welle.

General Grynkewich made the remarks after a meeting of NATO military chiefs in Brussels. He stressed that the withdrawal would be 'well-synchronized' with allies and would align with European nations strengthening their own defense capabilities. "As the European pillar of the alliance gets stronger, this allows the US to reduce its presence in Europe and limit itself to providing only those critical capabilities that allies cannot yet provide," Grynkewich told reporters.

The timeline, he said, remains flexible: "I can't really give you an exact timeline; it's going to be an ongoing process for several years."

Key Claims

5,000 troops from Germany: Multiple outlets confirm the US plan to withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany, a decision announced by President Trump. The figure is cited by Deutsche Welle and TASS.

Additional reductions: A single TASS report quotes General Grynkewich as saying that "several hundred" additional servicemen may be pulled out of Europe, beyond the 5,000 from Germany. This detail has not been independently confirmed by other sources in the provided material.

No immediate effect on NATO plans: Grynkewich assured that the withdrawal would not affect NATO's defense plans, according to TASS.

Cancelled deployment to Poland: TASS reports, citing unnamed diplomats and people close to the situation via Politico, that the US decided to cancel the deployment of a 4,000-strong brigade to Poland as part of a rotation. This decision, along with the German withdrawal, is reportedly aimed at reducing the US presence in Germany.

Coordination with allies: The withdrawal will be coordinated with European allies' strengthening of their own defense capabilities, as quoted by Grynkewich in Deutsche Welle's report.

Perspectives

The announcement has been framed differently across outlets. Deutsche Welle emphasizes the coordination aspect, quoting Grynkewich's assurances of synchronization with allies. Its report also notes that Grynkewich's comments seem to contradict an earlier statement by President Trump that Washington would reduce its military presence in Germany "a lot further." The report adds that Trump's announcement followed German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's suggestion that Washington was being "humiliated" in its war with Iran.

TASS, the Russian state news agency, presents the withdrawal as a confirmed development, with Grynkewich's statements reported neutrally. Another TASS article focuses on NATO's response, noting that alliance countries have instructed Grynkewich to identify replacements for American troops and equipment. That report, citing unnamed sources, says decisions on replacements may not be made within the current four-year NATO defense planning cycle, leaving the timeline uncertain.

The variation in reporting highlights the complexity of the situation: while the headline number of 5,000 troops is consistent across reports, questions remain about additional withdrawals, the future of US deployments in Poland, and how NATO will adapt. The extended timeline—'several years'—suggests a gradual process rather than an immediate drawdown, reflecting both logistical challenges and the need to maintain alliance cohesion.