Washington, May 19 (EFE).- United States Vice President JD Vance stated on Tuesday that his country will not withdraw all its military personnel from Europe, but rather seeks to redeploy them to prioritize Washington’s security and encourage Europeans to take on more responsibility for their own defense.
»We’re talking about shifting some resources around in a way that maximizes American security,” Vance told reporters at the White House.
“I don’t think that’s bad for Europe,” he added.
The VP insisted that “the United States cannot be the policeman of the world” and that what they are trying to do is be “good allies.”
“The president has not said that he’s taken all of the troops out of Europe, but Europe has to stand on its own two feet,” Vance says, adding that the decision is “consistent” with Trump’s position.
The VP was referring to Trump’s order to withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany, a move interpreted as a reaction to criticism from German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Trump also went so far as to insist days later that this reduction could be greater and announced earlier this month that he was considering the possibility of withdrawing troops from Italy as well, after Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni defended Pope Leo XIV.
When asked about troop movements in Poland, Vance stated that they have not reduced their presence, but rather “delayed a troop deployment,” which, rather than a reduction, is “just a standard delay in rotation.”
Trump has reiterated his criticism of NATO members, whom he accused of failing to support Washington in the war against Iran initiated by the US alongside Israel without first consulting its allies.
NATO countries’ defense chiefs affirmed that the upcoming withdrawal of 5,000 U.S. troops from Europe does not affect the bloc’s deterrence and defense capabilities. EFE
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