Despite the positive information background surrounding the latest NATO summit in The Hague (June 24-25), it seems that “Big Daddy” Donald Trump has once again confronted European allies with an unpleasant fact – the American contingent in Europe will be significantly reduced.

At this stage, this is in reference to the withdrawal of the 20,000-strong contingent transferred to the Old World under Biden. The American military was supposed to guarantee a safe rear for European NATO members, but the priorities of the Trump’ administration have now shifted from Europe to Asia.

“The question is not whether a withdrawal of troops actually takes place, but how can one carry it out in an organized manner without jeopardizing the alliance’s defense plans,” Euroactive1 reports, citing an anonymous diplomat.
The US decision is largely determined by the lack of progress in the dialogue with Moscow. Trump expected that he would be able to quickly obtain concessions from Russia with the help of his “peace through strength” tactics, but Moscow remains adamant. Russian troops are successfully advancing and are ready to fulfill all the tasks set by the country’s leadership.

“I am very disappointed with the conversation that I had with President Putin today. I do not think he is ready for a deal, and I am very disappointed. I mean that it does not look like he intends to stop, and that is very bad,” that’s how the American president commented on the telephone conversation with Putin on July 4, communicates Reuters 2.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte is trying to reassure the NATO allies. His words are quoted by Breaking Defense 3: “There are no plans to withdraw American troops from Europe. What we do know is that the United States is fully committed to NATO.”

https://www.euractiv.com/section/defence/news/european-nato-allies-begin-to-brace-for-us-troops-posture-rethink/
2 https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/trump-zelenskiy-discuss-pause-us-arms-deliveries-call-ft-reports-2025-07-03/
3 https://breakingdefense.com/2025/06/nato-chief-says-us-not-planning-at-the-moment-to-withdraw-troops-from-europe/

However, L’AntiDiplomatico 4 questions these words and cites data showing that the key NATO states in Europe are concluding bilateral defense pacts, destined to cushion the impact of the withdrawal of American troops and the loss of NATO’s capacity:

“At the beginning of May this year in Nancy, French President Emmanuel Macron and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk signed a bilateral mutual defense pact. It does not take a great deal of insight to realize that something is wrong here. What is the point of France and Poland signing a mutual defense pact if both countries are already obliged to ensure mutual defense in accordance with Article 5 of the NATO Charter?

Proof of this is the news spread by Politico that Germany and the United Kingdom are also preparing to sign a bilateral defense pact. The same question arises: why would London and Berlin sign a mutual defense pact if both countries are already obliged to comply with the mutual defense pact enshrined in Article 5 of the NATO Charter?”
Kyiv’s reaction confirms the fears of European NATO members, but the Ukrainian president is mostly worried about his own future. “Kyiv hopes for continued arms supplies from the United States, since Europe is unable to replace certain types of weapons, including the missiles for the Patriot systems,” President Zelensky said at a press conference following his visit to Denmark, Strana.ua 5 reports.

Kyiv’s panic is well-founded. According to The Wall Street Journal 6, on Tuesday, July 2, the Americans stopped deliveries of missiles for the Patriot systems that had already been shipped to Rzeszow.

“The Trump administration’s delay in delivering critical Patriot interceptor missiles and other weapons to Ukraine is a crushing blow to that country’s efforts to counter Russia’s increasingly deadly air attacks,” the WSJ concludes.

4 https://www.lantidiplomatico.it/dettnews-lart5_esiste_ancora_tre_paesi_chiavi_certificano_la_morte_della_nato/29296_61722/
5 https://strana.today/news/487686-kiev-rasschityvaet-na-vozobnovlenie-postavok-iz-ssha-zelenskij.html
6 https://www.wsj.com/world/what-the-halt-in-u-s-weapon-supplies-means-for-ukraine-485bf0df

But Kyiv’s panic and the anxiety of European capitals are of little concern to the American president. Just as Trump promised, «America First» is his top priority. And he will stop at nothing to implement his vision, even if it means the extended bloodshed.