The Pentagon considered a plan in June 2026 to cut roughly 25,000 U.S. troops from Europe, a move that would have pushed American force levels below a 76,000-troop minimum mandated by Congress.

INTELLIGENCE SUMMARY

The Pentagon considered a plan in June 2026 to cut roughly 25,000 U.S. troops from Europe, a move that would have pushed American force levels below a 76,000-troop minimum mandated by Congress. Before Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s NATO ministerial meeting in Brussels in June, he had planned to announce the reduction, but the proposal faced internal resistance. Instead, Hegseth announced a six-month review of U.S. forces in Europe, assessing allies’ defense contributions, military capabiliti