Hegseth Reverses Pentagon Plan to Reduce U.S. Troop Levels in Europe

A reported policy reversal at the Defense Department signals a shift away from cost-cutting proposals that had drawn concern from NATO allies already managing elevated security commitments.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has reportedly reversed a Pentagon plan to reduce the number of U.S. troops stationed in Europe, according to a report published Thursday by The Wall Street Journal. The specific troop figures involved in the original reduction proposal, the timeline under which cuts would have taken effect, and the precise number of personnel currently deployed to Europe were not detailed in publicly available Defense Department records as of July 3, 2026.

The reported reversal comes during a period of heightened U.S. military engagement in the Middle East. U.S.-Israeli airstrikes on February 28 killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to reporting by The Hill, triggering an ongoing war. Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, described by The Hill as a key mediator in U.S.-Iran talks, attended Khamenei's state funeral in Tehran on Friday. The concurrent demands on U.S. military logistics and diplomatic resources have not been publicly linked by the Pentagon to the European troop decision.

U.S. troop levels in Europe expanded significantly following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The Department of Defense's publicly posted force posture statements and the European Command (EUCOM) quarterly reports are the official records that would document current deployment numbers and any authorized changes. As of the date of publication, no formal troop reduction order appears in publicly available EUCOM or Pentagon press releases.

Hegseth was confirmed as Secretary of Defense by the U.S. Senate on January 25, 2025, by a 50-50 vote with Vice President JD Vance casting the tie-breaking vote, as recorded in the Senate roll call. His tenure has included multiple reported internal policy debates over defense spending and force structure, though official Defense Department budget submissions to Congress remain the authoritative record of approved force-level changes.

What remains unknown is whether the troop-reduction plan was formally proposed through official Pentagon channels, which legislative committees were briefed, and what cost savings, if any, had been projected. The relevant documents that would answer these questions include any Secretary of Defense memoranda, Office of Management and Budget defense submissions, and classified or unclassified briefings provided to the Senate Armed Services Committee or the House Armed Services Committee — none of which have been made public as of this report.