Pentagon cuts forces earmarked for Europe in event of crisis

Change is part of wider approach to reallocate more forces to Asia and the Pacific

- Michael R. Gordon

The Pentagon announced a plan to relocate more forces to Asia and the Pacific.

The Pentagon is substantially scaling back the forces it plans to send to Europe in a crisis, a fresh step by the Trump administration to shrink its military support for North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies.

Alexander Velez-Green, a Defense Department official, notified NATO allies of the planned cutbacks in a closed-door meeting last week at the alliance's headquarters in Brussels, current and former officials familiar with the matter said.

The current and former officials who have been briefed on the meeting said the Trump administration aims to reduce by one-third to one-half the pool of various military capabilities it would devote to NATO in a conflict, including U.S. commitments of strategic bombers and other long-range strike forces, some naval assets and air-to-air refueling tankers.

The move comes ahead of a NATO leaders summit in Ankara, Turkey, in July. President Trump is expected to attend the meeting and press other allied leaders to shoulder more of the burden on Europe’s defense.

It follows other Pentagon moves to shrink the American military presence in Europe, which the Defense Department has said are needed to enable the U.S. to reallocate more forces to the Pacific, where the U.S. is seeking to deter China’s growing military might.