globalsecurity.org: https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2026/05/mil-260521-rferl01.htm

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Subject: M001157
Source: GDELT news · original
Published: Friday, May 22, 2026

Rubio Arrives In Sweden For NATO Meeting Amid US Troop Cuts Please enable JavaScript and refresh the page --> Subscribe for 1 year - Get 2 months FREE!! TRY IT NOW --> Home :: Military :: Library :: News :: 2026 :: May :: Military Menu Introduction Systems Facilities Agencies Industry Operations Countries Hot Documents News Reports Policy Budget Congress Links WMD Intelligence Homeland Security Space Public Eye --> Military Rubio Arrives In Sweden For NATO Meeting Amid US Troop Cuts In-Depth Coverage By Alex Raufoglu May 21, 2026 HELSINGBORG, Sweden -- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has arrived in Sweden for a meeting of NATO foreign ministers as European allies seek reassurances over US troop drawdowns and Washington's shifting rhetoric on the alliance. Rubio will attend the gathering

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Rubio Arrives In Sweden For NATO Meeting Amid US Troop Cuts Please enable JavaScript and refresh the page --> Subscribe for 1 year - Get 2 months FREE!! TRY IT NOW --> Home :: Military :: Library :: News :: 2026 :: May :: Military Menu Introduction Systems Facilities Agencies Industry Operations Countries Hot Documents News Reports Policy Budget Congress Links WMD Intelligence Homeland Security Space Public Eye --> Military Rubio Arrives In Sweden For NATO Meeting Amid US Troop Cuts In-Depth Coverage By Alex Raufoglu May 21, 2026 HELSINGBORG, Sweden -- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has arrived in Sweden for a meeting of NATO foreign ministers as European allies seek reassurances over US troop drawdowns and Washington's shifting rhetoric on the alliance. Rubio will attend the gathering in Helsingborg on May 22, one of the final senior-level ministerial meetings before alliance leaders convene for a summit in Ankara in July. According to the State Department, the top US diplomat is expected to press allies for higher defense spending and "greater burden sharing" while also focusing on Arctic security. But the meeting comes at a moment of deep unease. European officials are seeking clarity on how much Washington plans to scale back its military presence on the continent following a series of abrupt Pentagon moves that have rattled the alliance. 'Kept In The Dark' The uncertainty stems from recent announcements that have raised fears across Europe that Washington may be weakening its security guarantees at a dangerous moment. Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump announced plans to withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany. The Pentagon later confirmed it was canceling a planned rotational deployment of roughly 4,000 troops to Poland and shelving plans to deploy a battalion of ground-launched Tomahawk cruise missiles to Germany. However, on May 21, Trump announced on social media that the US would be sending an additional 5,000 troops to Poland, "based on the successful election of the now president of Poland, Karol Nawrocki." Trump didn't provide specifics, and it wasn't immediately clear if the troops were part of the rotational deployment that the Pentagon had earlier called off. A senior European diplomat, speaking to RFE/RL on condition of anonymity, warned that the alliance's core deterrence was being undermined by a lack of communication. "The worst thing is the fact that the continent is seemingly being kept in the dark about the scope of this drawdown," the diplomat said, noting that frontline states such as the Baltic countries are struggling to plan. The diplomat added that reported US plans to reduce contributions to NATO's force model -- under which members pre-commit forces for major crises -- would "make a considerable dent" in Europe's initial defense lines. "NATO's effectiveness rested on the idea that it was unbreakable," the diplomat said. "Now, in a divorce, you start to see the cracks appearing." Administration officials hav

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