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U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth delivers a statement ahead of the NATO Defense Ministers' meeting held at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on the 18th (local time). / EPA Yonhap

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on the 18th (local time) that the U.S. plans to review its troop levels stationed in Europe over the next six months to scale back its military footprint and hand over a larger share of the American role in NATO to its European allies.

The Washington Post reported that Secretary Hegseth presented this matter as a key agenda item during the NATO Defense Ministers' meeting held at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on the same day.

The Donald Trump administration has consistently maintained a stance of cutting back on the troops and weaponry the U.S. has deployed for decades to protect Europe.

According to two anonymous diplomats, alongside the announced force posture review, the U.S. also intends to reduce the scale of fighter jets, reconnaissance drones, and warships earmarked for deployment to Europe in the event of a crisis or war.

Specifically, the policy aims to withdraw assets like strategic bombers, which European nations find difficult to procure on their own, as well as about one-third of its fighter jets.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated on the 18th that the plan to reduce U.S. wartime forces allocable to Europe would take effect immediately, arguing that this does not diminish the existing permanent U.S. troop presence in Europe but rather scales down the U.S. contribution to NATO's contingency response.

European governments are taking the position that they will assume greater responsibility within NATO. Eastern European nations, in particular, stressed that NATO serves as a vital defensive bulwark against Russia, which is waging a war with Ukraine.

The U.S. still maintains tens of thousands of troops and nuclear warheads across Europe, remaining deeply integrated into NATO's command and control structure.

A U.S. general holds the position of Supreme Allied Commander Europe, the highest military post in NATO.

During the defense ministers' meeting, Secretary Hegseth remarked, "For too long, NATO has been a mere paper tiger and a one-way street for the United States," adding, "That is no longer the case."

                                                                                                           Kim Hyun-min