After dumping the United Nations, the United States now plans to abandon NATO by reducing the number of personnel at command centres. This strategic move by the US has raised European concerns about Washington’s commitment to the NATO alliance.
The Trump administration has communicated the decision to some European capitals, according to three officials familiar with the matter.
Under the plan, the US will eliminate about 200 positions from NATO bodies responsible for overseeing and planning the alliance’s military and intelligence operations. The sources spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of private diplomatic discussions.
Key command centres affected
Among the affected institutions are the NATO Intelligence Fusion Centre based in the United Kingdom and the Allied Special Operations Forces Command in Brussels. In addition, Portugal-based STRIKFORNATO, which oversees certain maritime operations, will also see staff reductions. Several other NATO entities face similar cuts, the sources said.
Although officials did not explain the rationale behind the reductions, the move broadly aligns with the Trump administration’s stated aim of shifting more resources toward the Western Hemisphere. The Washington Post first reported the decision.
Anxiety grows despite a limited scale
However, the planned cuts remain small compared with the overall US military presence in Europe and do not necessarily signal a wider withdrawal. Around 80,000 US troops are currently stationed across the continent, nearly half of them in Germany.
Nevertheless, the move is likely to intensify unease among European allies. Concerns have already risen following President Donald Trump’s renewed rhetoric about Greenland, which has raised unprecedented questions about territorial tensions within NATO.
On Tuesday, Trump shared a social media post describing NATO as a threat to the United States while portraying China and Russia as exaggerated dangers.
Meanwhile, NATO officials sought to downplay the impact, noting that US staffing changes are routine.
“NATO and US authorities remain in close contact to ensure the alliance retains a strong capacity to deter and defend,” a NATO official said.
US plans to cut NATO staff raise European anxiety about alliance commitment, despite officials stressing limited impact and continued cooperation.
