NATO Deputy Supreme Allied Commander John Stringer Says Europe Backfilled US Force Cuts

Europe has largely replaced most of the assets the United States cut from its rescue plans for a potential conflict in Europe, NATO’s deputy supreme allied commander Europe John Stringer told Bloomberg in a Friday interview.

“Europe replaced most of the US cuts in NATO: Senior commander Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe John Stringer says: ‘European allies have definitely stepped up in terms of backfilling the adjustment in the US forces in Europe’ Berk Kutay Gökmen 03 July 2026•Update: 03 July 2026 European NATO allies have largely filled the capability gaps created by recent US reductions in its reinforcement plans for a potential conflict in Europe, the deputy supreme allied commander Europe told Bloomberg in a Friday interview”

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Stringer said, “European allies have definitely stepped up in terms of backfilling the adjustment in the US forces in Europe,” and added the shift showed “a stronger Europe in a stronger NATO.”

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He described burden-sharing and burden-shifting as being “absolutely driven by military logic,” after NATO’s military leadership asked European members to identify additional forces they could contribute following U.S. reductions in reinforcement plans.

The assessment was echoed by NATO’s top commander in a separate report ahead of a July 7-8 summit in Turkey, where force planning was expected to be a major issue.

U.S. General Alex Grynkewich said, “In a matter of weeks, European Allies have largely filled the gaps left by US reductions to the NATO Force Model,” while also saying alternate capabilities would be sought where like capability was not available.

The reassurances came as U.S. President Donald Trump renewed criticism of European NATO allies for, in his view, failing to share the alliance’s burden and spending too little on defense.

On his Truth Social platform, Trump called it “ridiculous” for the US to continue what he described as a “one-sided” relationship in which Washington shoulders a disproportionate share of the defense burden.

ANSA

Ahead of the Ankara summit, Financial Post said Stringer made the assurance to Bloomberg Television and framed it as a demonstration of “a stronger Europe in a stronger NATO.”

The same period also included warnings from NATO’s military command spokesperson Colonel Martin L. O’Donnell that “In the air and maritime domain, Europeans can and have stepped up” and even gone beyond 100 per cent.

In a separate account of the lead-up to NATO planning, U.S. Gen. Alex Grynkewich said the Pentagon’s June 3 signal had included an aircraft carrier and support ships, aerial refuelling planes and dozens of fighter jets, prompting work on backup plans if Europe comes under attack.

The coverage divergence around U.S. cuts and European backfilling was tied to what NATO said it would need to replace, including strategic enablers and missile defense, as ANSA reported Europe would have the most difficulty compensating for American capabilities in missile defense, space high-tech, and “strategic enablers such as air-to-air refueling aircraft and transport planes.”

“Could NATO be a credible force without the United States”

BBC

ANSA also said a full plan was “not yet ready” as the U.S. had just communicated the extent of the reductions, while noting the U.S. strategy was designed so Europe could defend itself in the future.

In parallel, Il Giornale d'Italia described a U.S. document sent to allies in early June that would reduce the number of F-16 and F-15E from 150 to 100 and reconnaissance aircraft from 26 to 15, while withdrawing all eight tanker aircraft in Europe.

That same Italian report said the document also spoke of “ricollocamento” of a missile submarine and an aircraft carrier along with “diverse navi da guerra e a decine di aerei che partecipano alle missioni della portaerei.”

With the Ankara summit in view, the stakes were framed in terms of NATO’s ability to activate plans under Article 5, where the 32 allies pledge an attack on one will be treated as an attack on all, even though it does not oblige them to provide military support.