The plan has numbers
Washington justifies the step by a shift of strategic attention to the Pacific region, where it sees China as its main rival. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell also confirmed the reduction of combat brigades from four to three — so this is not merely the Italian daily's interpretation. Washington had already announced the withdrawal of 5,000 troops from Germany earlier; according to the Pentagon, the process is to take six to twelve months. Bloomberg Government ↗However, this is not a complete departure. According to German sources, the United States wants to retain key command functions within the alliance, including the post of Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) as well as the tactical commands of ground, naval, and air forces. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte claims the reduction will not weaken the continent's defense. TIME ↗
Italy hears assurances, Germany counts the losses
What the map of the American withdrawal will look like is not yet clear — and it is precisely this uncertainty that is creating tension among allies. When US Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Rome in May, he told Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni that President Trump had not yet decided on a possible withdrawal from Italy, and he described the whole move by saying it was not a punishment but a process already underway. He called himself a strong supporter of NATO. CNN ↗Italian bases such as Sigonella, an important hub for reconnaissance drones, refueling, and weapons transfers, or Aviano air base, have not yet been mentioned in publicly known statements. But the very need to reassure allies shows the political sensitivity of the topic: while Germany counts the troop losses, the south receives calming words. According to the American broadcaster PBS, allies are "bewildered" by Trump's contradictory signals. PBS NewsHour ↗
Two weeks ago gestures, now a bill
Two weeks ago we described five signals from a single day in which Europe was learning to act without American assistance — from a Finnish offer of mediation, through the German state's entry into the arms manufacturer KNDS, to a request for autonomous access to space. Europe was then learning to stand without America. At the time, these were mostly gestures. The June document changes the tone: the continent now faces the question of what will replace the capabilities the Americans are withdrawing.So far, it is proving difficult. Secretary General Rutte's plan to strengthen aid to Ukraine has run into resistance from major NATO member states. At the same time, according to the German broadcaster n-tv, citing Politico, the Pentagon is considering canceling the planned delivery of Tomahawk missiles to Germany — reportedly out of consideration for Moscow's reaction. n-tv ↗ A symbolic contrast was also offered this week by the Lešť military training area, where the international NATO exercise Strong Lineage 2026 is culminating — allies are training on Slovak soil at the very moment the strongest among them is announcing a withdrawal. STVR ↗
What remains unclear
A definitive decision on exactly where the withdrawal will take place has not yet been made — Rubio has repeatedly emphasized this — and Washington has not fully disclosed the precise dimensions of the reduction. This is a shift in emphasis, not an abandonment of the alliance: according to reports so far, the US wants to retain command posts. This is an important distinction, also because in the disinformation environment a simplistic framing is already emerging that "America is abandoning Europe." The reality is more sober — it is a gradual reduction of presence, the pace and scope of which are still being negotiated.What hotinfo is following
- The NATO defense ministers' meeting in mid-June — which states will agree to replace American capabilities and which are hesitant
- The NATO summit on July 7–8 in Ankara, where the allies' joint position is to be shaped
- Whether Rutte's plan to aid Ukraine returns to the table
- The June meeting of the European Space Agency on autonomous access to space
- The fate of the Tomahawk delivery to Germany
