U.S. DOD Considers Pulling 10,000 Soldiers From Eastern Europe

U.S. weighs pulling 10,000 soldiers from Russia’s doorstep

By Boyko Nikolov

The U.S. Department of Defense is weighing a significant shift in its military posture, contemplating the withdrawal of up to 10,000 troops from Eastern Europe, according to multiple sources familiar with the discussions.

This development, reported by NBC News on April 8, 2025, comes just over three years after the Biden administration bolstered the region with additional forces in 2022 to counter Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. European officials have expressed unease, warning that such a move could embolden Russian President Vladimir Putin at a time of heightened tension.

Seth Jones, a senior vice president at the Center for Strategic and International Studies [CSIS], has cautioned that “the reduction of American forces would weaken deterrence,” a statement that underscores the stakes involved.

This potential drawdown signals a pivot that could reshape NATO’s operational landscape and America’s strategic priorities, raising questions about logistics, technology, and the broader geopolitical chessboard.

The origins of this moment trace back to February 2022, when Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine prompted a swift U.S. response. President Joe Biden authorized the deployment of approximately 20,000 additional troops to Eastern Europe, bringing the total American presence on the continent to around 100,000.

This buildup, concentrated in countries like Poland, Romania, and the Baltic states, aimed to reassure NATO allies and deter further Russian aggression. The forces included a mix of infantry, armored units, and aviation assets, designed to project strength along NATO’s eastern flank.

Now, with the Pentagon considering a reduction of up to half of that 2022 surge, the implications for military readiness and alliance cohesion are coming into sharp focus.

From a logistical standpoint, pulling 10,000 troops out of Eastern Europe would require a meticulous disentanglement of units and equipment. While exact details remain classified, public data offers some clues about the current U.S. footprint.

As of mid-2024, the United States European Command [EUCOM] oversaw roughly 65,000 permanently assigned troops, supplemented by rotational forces that swelled the total to over 100,000 during peak Ukraine-related deployments. Poland hosts a significant share, with the V Corps Forward Command in Poznań serving as a hub for operational planning.

Romania, meanwhile, supports a rotational presence of Stryker units—highly mobile infantry equipped with the Stryker wheeled armored vehicle, a 19-ton platform armed with a 30mm cannon or Javelin anti-tank missiles, capable of speeds up to 60 miles per hour.

These units, designed for rapid deployment, have been key to NATO’s deterrence strategy. A withdrawal could mean scaling back such formations, potentially reducing the Army’s ability to respond quickly to crises in the region.

The operational consequences extend beyond mere numbers. The U.S. presence includes critical capabilities like the Patriot air defense system, deployed in Poland since 2022 to counter Russian missile threats.