U.S. to Cut 200 Military Advisors from NATO as Part of 'Western Hemisphere First' Strategy

NSS: "Focus on Restoring Dominance in the Western Hemisphere"
U.S. Reduces Military Role in Europe

Yonhap News Agency

The United States is reducing its military advisory personnel within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). This move is part of the National Security Strategy (NSS) to scale back the role of U.S. forces in Europe and focus more on the Western Hemisphere (the Americas).

According to foreign media outlets such as the Washington Post (WP) and Reuters on January 20 (local time), the U.S. Department of Defense plans to cut about 200 personnel from the Centers of Excellence (COE), the advisory bodies responsible for training member state forces within NATO.

As a result, staffing at the United Kingdom's Intelligence Fusion Centre and the Allied Special Operations Command in Brussels will be adjusted. The Strike Force NATO in Portugal is expected to be disbanded. However, WP explained that the withdrawal will not occur all at once; instead, positions will not be refilled as missions are completed.

This decision follows the Trump administration's move to limit the strategic priorities of the U.S. military to the Western Hemisphere and reduce regional commands. The NSS report stated, "The days of the United States holding up the entire world like Atlas are over," and emphasized that the focus will now be on "restoring dominance in the Western Hemisphere."

In line with this, last year the Department of Defense announced the withdrawal of a brigade from Romania. It also ended security assistance programs for the three Baltic states bordering Russia.

Currently, about 80,000 U.S. troops are stationed in Europe. The number of military advisors being reduced this time is very small compared to the total U.S. military presence in Europe. However, former and current officials told WP that the loss of American military expertise could significantly impact the NATO alliance.

The Department of Defense drew a line, stating that this issue is separate from the Greenland situation. However, Reuters reported that such moves could heighten European anxieties over the "Atlantic Alliance," especially as tensions between the United States and Europe over Greenland are rising.