France is calling on the U.S. to provide predictability regarding the reduction of its military presence in Europe
France is calling on the United States to reduce its military presence in Europe gradually and in a predictable manner, given the possibility of sudden decisions by Washington to withdraw forces and resources from the continent.
French Deputy Defense Minister Alice Rufo made this statement in comments to Politico.
One of the main topics at next month’s NATO summit in Ankara will be the so-called “burden-sharing”—the greater role Europeans must play in deterrence and defense of the continent as the U.S. moves to reduce its presence in Europe.
The French official stated that Paris expects “orderliness” from Washington on this issue.
“We would like changes in the U.S. position to take place in an orderly, coordinated, and effective manner so as not to present Europeans with a dilemma. Given the extreme instability of transatlantic relations, we must avoid both catastrophism and denial,” Rufo said.
France—one of NATO’s three nuclear powers—has not had a U.S. military presence on its territory since the 1960s, so its national defense system has not been affected by reductions in U.S. troops or resources. However, the country is actively investing in NATO’s regional defense plans and is expected to allocate more resources to the Alliance to offset any cuts from Washington.
“The challenge Europeans will face is finding a way to compensate for strategic resources,” the official noted, referring to key capabilities largely provided by the U.S.—air and sea transport, aerial refueling, intelligence, and space assets.
Rufo expects the presence of U.S. troops in Europe to decline to the level it was at before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
“But there’s no point in completely replacing [U.S. capabilities]. Europeans don’t wage war the same way Americans do,” Rufo added.
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