Pentagon cuts troops in Eastern Europe, prompting rare pushback by GOP lawmakers

(WASHINGTON) — The Pentagon’s decision to pull out as many as 800 troops deployed in Eastern Europe has prompted a rare, forceful pushback from congressional Republicans who said Wednesday the move sends the “wrong signal” to Russia at a time the U.S. is trying to force Vladimir Putin to negotiate a ceasefire in Ukraine.

In a joint statement, the top Republicans on the House and Senate armed services committees said they would not support changes to the military’s posture in Europe without a “rigorous interagency process,” including coordination with Congress.

“Unfortunately, this appears to be exactly what is being attempted,” wrote Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi and Rep. Mike Rogers of Alabama, who as panel chairmen oversee defense policy issues related to the Pentagon’s nearly $1 trillion annual budget.

U.S. officials confirmed Wednesday that the Army’s  2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team of the 101st Airborne Division would return to its base in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, without being replaced. Romania’s defense minister, Ionut Mosteanu, noted the change in a statement, saying that the U.S. plans to reduce force size in NATO’s so-called “Eastern Flank” would still leave about 1,000 troops in Romania.  

“This is not an American withdrawal from Europe or a signal of lessened commitment to NATO and Article 5,” a statement from U.S. Army Europe and Africa said, referring to the provision in the alliance’s treaty calling for mutual defense.

“Rather this is a positive sign of increased European capability and responsibility,” wrote the command that oversees Army troops in Europe and Africa.  

Wicker and Rogers directly pushed back on the notion that Europe was ready to fill the gaps when it comes to NATO security, noting that it needs time to build up its defenses and saying the move risks “inviting further Russian aggression.”

“This decision also sends the wrong signal to Russia at the very moment President Trump is applying pressure to force Vladimir Putin to come to the table to achieve a lasting peace in Ukraine,” the senators wrote. “The President has it exactly right: now is the time for America to demonstrate our resolve against Russian aggression. Unfortunately, the Pentagon’s decision appears uncoordinated and directly at odds with the President’s strategy.”

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment and it was not clear whether Trump was aware of the plan.

A senior NATO military official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said adjustments to force posture were not unusual in Europe and that the alliance believes the U.S. and Trump remain committed to its alliance.

“Even with this adjustment, the U.S. force posture in Europe remains larger than it has been for many years,” the NATO official said. “There are still many more U.S. forces on the continent than before 2022. NATO and U.S. authorities are in close contact about our overall posture — to ensure NATO retains our robust capacity to deter and defend.”

Pushback against the Trump administration by congressional Republicans has been extraordinarily rare during the president’s second term, with the president retaining a firm grip on the GOP. 

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