Washington denies information regarding the withdrawal of tens of thousands of American soldiers from Europe. The US Ambassador to NATO, Matthew Whitaker, asserts that the plan circulated in the American press is false, while the Pentagon continues to analyze military presence on the continent.
“These informations are false”, declared Matthew Whitaker on Wednesday, in Brussels, during a conference on defense organized by Euronews, according to AFP and Agerpres.
The statement of the American ambassador comes after the NBC television station, citing American officials under the protection of anonymity, reported in mid-September that Washington intends to withdraw up to 40,000 troops from Europe.
“This has not yet been presented, the plan has not even been finalized yet” by the Defense Secretariat, stated the American ambassador to NATO.
Washington is reassessing its military presence in Europe
The United States launched the process of reassessing their military presence in Europe at the end of July. The analysis is expected to be completed by the end of the year and focuses on how American forces are positioned on the continent, as well as their contribution to NATO defense.
At the launch of the process, Elbridge Colby, the Pentagon’s number two, explained that the analysis aims to determine whether NATO is moving towards a situation where European states assume the primary responsibility for the conventional defense of the continent.
“It will be a true test, designed to ensure that NATO progresses rapidly and irreversibly towards a Europe that assumes the main responsibility for its own conventional defense”, Elbridge Colby declared at that time.
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