Democratic senator calls for US diplomats to help guide Europe troop review

Key Points:

• Senator Jeanne Shaheen, top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, urged Secretary of State Marco Rubio to involve U.S. diplomats in the Pentagon-led review of U.S. military presence in Europe, citing concerns that ambassadors in affected countries are being excluded.
• The review, initiated by the Trump administration, aims to reduce U.S. military reliance in Europe and encourage European countries to take greater responsibility for their own defense, with potential troop withdrawals of up to 25,000 from the current 80,000 stationed.
• Shaheen emphasized that changes in troop levels could significantly impact bilateral relationships, especially with Baltic nations like Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia, amid ongoing Russian hybrid threats along NATO's eastern flank.
• A State Department official contested the claims of exclusion, stating that diplomats, including ambassadors, are regularly consulted during the force posture review, which is led by the Department of Defense with Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby at the forefront.
• The Trump administration's tendency to limit State Department involvement in key policy decisions is defended as a way to expedite processes and reduce leaks, though critics argue it risks insufficient expert and ally input on critical matters.