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The United States is planning to reduce its military engagement in Europe, far quicker than what was previously thought of--with the Pentagon about to present concrete plans soon, as reported by German media outlet Welt.
Citing a high-ranking representative of the Department of Defence, Welt reported that the representative said the changes would be incorporated into the troop and capability offering at the next NATO force sourcing conference. "These changes will be incorporated into our troop and capability offering at the next NATO force sourcing conference," a high-ranking representative of the US Department of Defence confirmed to Welt. The next of these conferences will take place in June. At these regular meetings, national military planners determine which capabilities they can make available to the alliance, the outlet reported. "We want to provide the allies with the necessary information and clarity to advance the transition to a European defence, in which the allies assume primary responsibility for the conventional defence of Europe, as quickly and effectively as possible," the Pentagon representative added. The announcement falls in line with the demands made on European NATO members by US President Donald Trump during his first term. As Trump 2.0 began, the policy was formally enshrined in the National Security Strategy and the National Defence Strategy a few months later. President Trump always reserves the right "to act in whatever way he deems appropriate in any situation," the US Department of Defence representative further noted. The Pentagon's task is "to plan proactively, in accordance with the National Defence Strategy, in case the US is confronted with multiple conflicts simultaneously. Should we ultimately find ourselves in a less tense situation, this provides us with additional flexibility." A partial US withdrawal would weaken the military foundation of NATO's security pledge, hence the development is likely to be viewed with concern, especially in the Baltic states. While Germany and other NATO allies in Europe have long known that the US intends to withdraw as a protecting power, the German media outlet noted that German government circles assume that this step will be gradual and coordinated. With the now-confirmed proposal of specific reductions, Washington is not granting the Europeans any significant transition period, it noted. Welt highlighted how the core message is that the United States can no longer fight on multiple fronts simultaneously as the sole major military power. Stating that Washington's focus has shifted to China and the Indo-Pacific, Welt said that Europe will foreseeably have to shoulder the lion's share of its own defence and deterrence against Russia. Welt further reported that, according to information obtained, doubts already exist within the US Army Europe as to whether NATO possesses sufficient forces and capabilities to fully implement its regional defence plans. It highlighted how Russia could therefore challenge the alliance primarily in areas where Moscow has geographical advantages and readily available forces. It underlined how if Washington now further reduces capabilities within NATO plans, this problem is likely to worsen. (ANI)
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