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US force adjustments in Europe will be gradual and structured, Rutte says

By Thomson Reuters May 20, 2026 | 4:44 AM

BRUSSELS, May 20 (Reuters) – The gradual reduction of ​U.S. troops ‌in Europe will happen “in a structured way”, that ‌won’t ​impact ⁠NATO’s defence plans, ⁠NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Wednesday.

Rutte ​also said discussions ⁠about how ⁠much the ​U.S. would contribute ​to NATO in the ‌event of a crisis had started ⁠over a year ago, and described it ⁠as ‌a logical ⁠response to ​the ‌increased defence spending ​by ⁠European allies and Canada.

(Reporting by Bart Meijer, editing by Andrew ​Gray)