The Trump administration is considering a plan to redeploy US troops within NATO, in order to "punish" countries it considers have not sufficiently supported the United States and Israel in the war with Iran, according to US administration officials cited by the Wall Street Journal.
The plan would relocate US troops from NATO member states that were deemed "uncooperative" during the war against Iran to countries that have shown greater support for the US military campaign - including Greece, the Wall Street Journal reported.
The proposal is a far cry from Trump's threats to completely withdraw the United States from NATO, which would not happen without Congressional approval.
The plan, which has been circulating within the administration for weeks and appears to be gaining support from senior officials, is still in its early stages. It is one of the options the White House is considering to address the stance of some European allies, demonstrating the growing gap between Washington and European capitals following Trump's decision to go to war with Iran.
“It is truly sad that NATO has turned its back on the American people over the past six weeks, when it is the American people who fund their defense,” said White House press secretary Caroline Levitt today. As she said, Trump intends to have a “very frank and direct conversation” with the Secretary General of the Alliance (ed. at the time of writing, the meeting was in progress).
The US maintains about 84,000 troops on European soil, with the number varying depending on military exercises and periodic force deployments. US bases in Europe are a key hub for global US military operations and contribute to the economies of host countries through investment. Bases in Eastern Europe also act as a deterrent against Russia.
The White House declined to comment on the content of the proposal and it remains unclear which countries would be affected. However, several member states have angered Trump since his return to power, particularly over their opposition to war with Iran.
Spain, the only NATO country that has not pledged to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP, has banned the use of its airspace by US aircraft involved in the operation against Iran. Meanwhile, US government officials have expressed dissatisfaction with Germany, after its senior officials criticized the war, despite the fact that the country is one of the most important centers for supporting US operations in the Middle East.
Italy also temporarily blocked the use of a US air base in Sicily, while France allowed the use of a base on its southern territory only on the condition that planes not involved in attacks on Iran land there.
In addition to relocating troops, the plan could also include closing a US base in at least one European country, perhaps in Spain or Germany.
On the contrary, countries considered more supportive – such as Poland, Romania, Lithuania and Greece – could benefit from the strengthening of the US military presence. Eastern European states, after all, are among the highest defense spenders in NATO and were among the first to express their willingness to participate in an international mission to monitor the Strait of Hormuz.
After the war began, Romania characteristically immediately approved U.S. requests for the use of its bases by the U.S. Air Force, the WSJ notes.
