The American Secretary of Defense’s plan to massively cut troops in Europe was blocked at the last minute by the White House, reports WSJ. The move threatened to blow up relations with allies, while NATO is already considering cancelling the 2027 summit in Albania.
Last month in Brussels, American Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, was preparing to blow up the meeting with NATO military chiefs with a downright shocking announcement, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Political sources from Washington claim that he intended to announce massive cuts from the American forces deployed in Europe. The reductions would have gone much further than the cancellation of sending an armored brigade to Poland or the previous withdrawal of the infantry brigade from Romania.
The White House has blocked Hegseth’s plan
Hegseth’s plan, however, was blocked at the last moment, after it landed on the desk of Marco Rubio, Donald Trump’s national security advisor, and other key officials at the White House.
Ultimately, Hegseth limited himself to announcing that the USA will launch a reassessment of the military presence on the continent, a process that could take half a year.
When questioned on this matter, the White House refused to comment and redirected the questions to the Pentagon. The spokesperson for the Department of Defense, Sean Parnell, attempted to extinguish the fire: “Secretary Hegseth simply ensured that his message adheres to the president’s line and agenda, without restricting his strategic options.”
Details, HERE