Francis Kapper
Defense Reporter
May 20, 2026 5:14 PM ET
The Department of War announced Tuesday that it will reduce the number of troops present in Europe.
The total number of brigade combat teams has been cut from four to three, according to the Department of War press release. Some defense experts told the Daily Caller News Foundation the move could be viewed as retaliation from President Donald Trump against European Union officials.
Each brigade combat team contains over 4,000 soldiers, artillery and numerous heavy weapons, according to the U.S. Congressional Budget Office.
One defense analyst told the DCNF that this could be perceived as a reaction to Europe’s recent stance toward the U.S. military.
“It sends a message that if you cross/insult President Trump, you do so at your country’s potential peril,” Brookings’ Director of Research on Foreign Policy Michael O’Hanlon told the DCNF. “It doesn’t make much sense except as an act of retaliation against Merz [the Chancellor of Germany]. But it shouldn’t hurt deterrence since it involves modest numbers of troops and not only the Eastern flank.”(RELATED: There’s A New Suicide Drone On The Block, And America’s Enemies Are Salivating Over It)
Trump has been openly critical of the European Union in the past, straining relations.
“The European Union was formed in order to screw the United States,” Trump said during the first cabinet meeting of his second term on Feb. 26, 2025. “That’s the purpose of it. And they’ve done a good job of it. But now I’m the president.”
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the U.S. was being “humiliated” by Iran and warned that Washington lacked a clear exit strategy from the conflict, according to the Financial Times.
more
https://dailycaller.com/2026/05/20/war-department-europe-troops-poland-russia-trump-nato/
