U.S. President Donald Trump plans to reduce the number of American troops in Europe by 20% and demand that Europe contribute to the cost of their maintenance, according to the Italian news agency ANSA.
The report states that although Trump does not intend to hastily withdraw troops from Europe or Ukraine, European countries will have to take on more responsibility for their own security.
According to the diplomat, Trump wants to reduce the number of American troops by about 20,000 and expects Europe to make a financial contribution to the maintenance of the remaining U.S. forces in the region.
Trump’s reasoning is that American troops serve as a deterrent, and therefore, the costs of maintaining them should not fall solely on American taxpayers.
The source added that Trump was convinced not to abandon Ukraine, but insists that Europeans take on the financial burden, viewing the situation in Ukraine as primarily a European problem.
It is still unknown what the payment amount will be. Trump has returned to the idea of allocating around 5% of GDP to defense, which he believes would become a new standard for NATO. However, this goal seems too ambitious for Europe.
