WASHINGTON — House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) urged Pentagon officials on Tuesday not to proceed with rumored cuts to US forces in Europe as Russia’s war on Ukraine rages on.
It comes after NBC News reported Tuesday that the Pentagon was considering cutting as many as 10,000 troops from Europe amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.
“You should be focused on maintaining the surge posture that we’ve had in Europe since the conflict was started by Russia for the foreseeable future,” Rogers told Katherine Thompson, who is the Pentagon’s acting assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs.
“Pulling back prematurely would risk inviting further Russian aggression, potentially even against NATO,” Rogers said, adding that he was “concerned” Congress had not been consulted on its thoughts regarding troops presence in Europe.
Rogers spoke at a hearing Tuesday reviewing US military operations on the continent, where roughly 100,000 American troops are stationed or deployed. That number is up from 80,000 before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Thompson acknowledged that the Defense Department is currently reviewing its “force posture” — or presence of troops around the world — but said no decision had been made on whether to cut troops from Europe.
Army Gen. Christopher G. Cavoli, the head of US European Command, at the hearing testified that he would not suggest cutting any forces from Europe, highlighting Russia’s nuclear threat.
“Russia continues to have very powerful strategic forces, thousands of nuclear weapons, and the delivery methods to deliver those those are not pointed just any place … they exist for America,” he said. “And our defense against those strategic forces, whether in the air or undersea, begins in the European continent.”
While the Trump administration has been pushing for an end to Russia’s war on Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin has refused to agree to proposed cease-fire agreements and talks remain ongoing between the US, Russia and Ukraine.
“President Trump was right to warn Putin that if he doesn’t start negotiating in good faith, then the US will ratchet up pressure and impose unprecedented sanctions,” Rogers said. “Because, as President Trump knows, Putin only respects strength, and he has acted accordingly.”
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