US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said administration officials have no short-term plans to cut U.S. troop levels in Europe but are committed to reviewing American military posture worldwide to ensure that forces are prepositioned in the right regions, Military Times reports.
During a visit to U.S. Africa Command headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany, on Tuesday, Hegseth told reporters that the United States is committed to having a presence in Europe, but also emphasized that the responsibility of securing the region should not fall on America alone.
“The European continent deserves to be free from any aggression, but it ought be those in the neighborhood investing the most in that defense,” he said. “That’s common sense. You defend your neighborhood, and the Americans will come alongside you in helping in that defense.”
But for now, Hegseth said, that approach does not include cutting U.S. forces in the region.
