Nato members fret before talks over US retreat

GOVERNMENTS FEAR REDUCTION OF 20,000 AMERICAN TROOPS IN EUROPE

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Nato’s European allies are focused on getting through this week’s summit unscathed. But even if President Donald Trump is satisfied with fresh pledges to ramp up spending, anxiety is growing about the US military presence in the region.

Only after the June 24-25 summit meeting in The Hague — where North Atlantic Treaty Organisation members will pledge to spend 5 per cent of GDP on defence — will the US present its military review, which will spell out the scope of what are likely significant reductions in Europe.

With some 80,000 US troops in Europe, governments in the region have factored in at least a reversal of the military surge under former President Joe Biden of about 20,000 troops.