U.S. troop withdrawal will not undermine NATO defence in Europe, top commander says

U.S. Air Force General Alexus Grynkewich, commander of the U.S. European Command and NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), testifies before a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the "posture of the U.S. European Command and U.S. Transportation Command in review of the Defense Authorization Request", on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 12, 2026. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz

BRUSSELS, May ⁠19 (Reuters) - NATO's top commander Alexus Grynkewich ⁠said on Tuesday that a ‌U.S. decision to withdraw an armoured brigade, or a total of 5,000 troops, from ​Europe will not undermine ⁠the alliance's defence ⁠plans in the region.

Grynkewich, speaking in Brussels ⁠where ‌he met with military chiefs from NATO countries, added ⁠that European allies and Canada are ​taking ‌more responsibility for the conventional defence ⁠in Europe ​with continued backing from the U.S. capabilities, which are being adjusted.

"As ⁠the European pillar of the ​alliance gets stronger, this allows the U.S. to reduce its presence in ⁠Europe and limit itself to providing only those critical capabilities that allies cannot yet provide," Grynkewich said, adding ​that he couldn't ⁠provide an exact timeline but that ​it would be an "ongoing ‌process for several years".

(Reporting ​by Sabine Siebold, Inti Landauro, editing by Charlotte Van Campenhout)