Estonia's Defense Head: Future of US Troops in Europe is a NATO Matter

According to Estonia's defense chief, Hanno Pevkur, NATO would be consulted on any decision to pull US troops out of Europe. This comes as leaders in the region are preparing for possible unilateral moves later this year.

The Gaze writes on it, referring to Bloomberg.

The Defense Minister of Estonia received no assurances from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth regarding the maintenance of troop levels on NATO's eastern flank. However, Pevkur was informed that any discussions concerning force posture would involve NATO leadership and a collaborative effort to implement changes aligned with the US strategic perspective.

“The commitment that was made was that a single decision wouldn’t be made with it coming as a surprise to Europe,” Pevkur said in an interview.

European leaders are concerned that a potential review under President Donald Trump this fall could lead to a reduction in the approximately 80,000 US military personnel currently stationed in Europe, possibly reversing the surge of 20,000 troops deployed under former President Joe Biden.

Estonian officials emphasized to the US that a strong troop presence on NATO's eastern border is vital to deter Russian aggression. “Our message to the Pentagon was clear,” Pevkur said. “You need to be where the threat is — and it’s wise for allies to keep together and keep NATO’s front door closed.”

Despite the US having reinforced its more than 2,000 troops in the Baltics after Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Estonian Defense Minister Pevkur indicated that US Defense Secretary Hegseth offered no firm guarantees about maintaining this presence, as the upcoming US force posture review will consider global threats, including those in Asia and the Middle East.

As The Gaze previously reported, Russia has deployed additional electronic warfare (EW) systems near the Estonian border, heightening concerns over GPS jamming across the Baltic region.