Wall Street Journal: Trump Considers Withdrawing US Troops from Some NATO Allies

According to US government officials, the Trump administration is considering a plan to punish some NATO members it believes did not support the US and Israel during the war with Iran. The proposal includes withdrawing US troops from non-supporting NATO members and redeploying them to countries more supportive of US military operations. This proposal is far less serious than Trump's recent threats to completely withdraw the US from NATO, which he cannot do without congressional approval. The plan has been circulating and gaining support among senior government officials in recent weeks and is currently in its early conceptual stages, one of several options for punishing NATO being discussed by the White House. The White House previously stated that Trump believes NATO has failed the "test" and will discuss withdrawal with Rutte. According to two government officials, in addition to redeploying troops, the plan may also include closing US military bases in at least one European country, possibly Spain or Germany. Countries such as Poland, Romania, Lithuania, and Greece could benefit as they are seen as supporters. The plan could lead to a greater deployment of US troops closer to the Russian border, likely angering Moscow. (Wall Street Journal)