Prepare for possible US troop drawdown in Europe, Estonia says – POLITICO

But while Karis has been reassured by some of Trump’s statements, namely his vow this week to keep U.S. troops in Poland, the Estonian leader underscored it was still “very difficult to predict” what Washington would do in the Baltics.

Countries like Estonia “have to be prepared for any scenario,” while the risk of a drawdown from NATO’s largest member “means we should build up our own capacity,” added Karis. As president of Estonia, he is commander-in-chief of the country’s armed forces and represents it in international relations.

The U.S. currently has some 2,000 soldiers stationed in the Baltic states (Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia) as part of a military buildup in the wake of Russia’s February 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The Pentagon is currently reviewing its global force posture and is expected to unveil the results at the end of this month. While the contents aren’t known, the review is being prepared under the direction of Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby, an outspoken proponent of reducing the U.S. presence in Europe.

‘Trump’s temper’

Karis’ visit to Brussels — where he met with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte — coincided with a gathering of EU leaders in the “coalition of the willing” that is working on security guarantees for Ukraine. The gathering prompted a spokesperson for Russia’s foreign ministry to say that Moscow won’t accept any foreign troops in Ukraine as part of a potential ceasefire.

But Karis said Moscow should not have any say in the matter: “Russia started this aggression … The answer is definitely not.”