The United States should maintain its military presence in Europe as it currently is. This was stated by General Christopher G. Cavoli, commander of the US European Command, reported Reuters.
The Pentagon is currently reviewing its global footprint under President Donald Trump.
The US military has more than 100,000 troops in Europe, but US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has told his European counterparts that they should not assume the US presence will last forever.
"My advice is to keep the force posture as it is now," Cavoli told lawmakers during a hearing before the House Armed Services Committee.
He noted that the military has periodically reviewed its troop levels in Europe since 2022. since - when Washington deployed 20,000 troops to the continent following Russia's invasion of Ukraine - but he has recommended not reducing troop levels.
"I have consistently recommended during this period that we maintain the forces that we have put forward, and I would continue to do so," the military official added.