US should maintain current military posture in Europe, says general

WASHINGTON

The US should maintain its current military presence in Europe, US European Command Commander Christopher Cavoli said Tuesday.

"It's my advice to maintain that force posture as it is now," Cavoli said at a House Armed Services Committee hearing, when asked about his advice.

"I have consistently recommended throughout that period to maintain the forces we surged forward, and I would continue to do so if asked," he added.

During his opening statement, Cavoli said: "We continue to face historic times in the European theater."

Russia's war in Ukraine, which is now in its fourth year, has revealed Russia to be a "chronic threat," he added.

"And in the coming years, it's going to be a growing threat, one that is willing to use military force to achieve geopolitical goals, and is actively waging a campaign of destabilization across Europe and beyond," Cavoli said.

Also addressing the lawmakers, defense official Katherine Thompson urged the NATO allies to raise defense spending to 5% of their respective GDPs.

Thompson said US President Donald Trump directed the Department of Defense to reorient the US defense strategy so that it puts America's interests first in Europe.

"That means working with our interagency partners to bring an end to the war in Ukraine," she said, adding that both Trump and Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth underlined that the US will not put boots on the ground in Ukraine.

"At the same time, they have made clear that Europeans must take the lead in supporting Ukraine's defense requirements in the years ahead, and our allies are taking steps to that effect," she said.