Senior US Department of Defense officials are considering a proposal for withdrawal of up to 10,000 troops from Eastern Europe, NBC News reported on Tuesday, citing six US and European officials informed of the matter.

These are units that are part of the military staff of 20,000 people that the Biden government developed in 2022 to strengthen the defense of Ukraine countries after the Russian invasion. The numbers are still discussed, but the proposal could include the removal of up to half the forces sent by Biden.

Internal discussions on the reduction of US troops in Romania and Poland are taking place at a time when President Donald Trump is trying to persuade Putin to agree on a ceasefire.

The six US and European officials, who asked everyone to maintain their anonymity, mentioned many details of the NBC News proposal. If the Pentagon approves the proposal, it will reinforce fears that the United States is abandoning their long -term allies in Europe that consider Russia as a growing threat, European officials said.

The Russians “would appreciate the reduction of the US forces, believing that” deterrence “is weakened and increasing their mood to intervene in various ways throughout the spectrum in Europe,” said Seth Jones, a senior vice -president of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

The Trump government has made it clear that European allies want to take more responsibility for their own defense, allowing the United States to focus their military resources in China and other priorities.

As the Pentagon has cuts in its budget, the US Army’s reduction in Europe would liberate resources, probably for the Indo-Pacific region, which government officials said they consider a higher strategic priority. The cancellation of the development of combat units in Eastern Europe could also save money on the army, which is trying to boost investment in innovative equipment and weapons.

About 80,000 US troops are parked in Europe. Following the start of the war by Russia, legislators supported a strong US military presence along the eastern NATO wing, considering it as an important message to Putin that the United States remains committed to the defense of these border states.

However, Trump during his election campaign expressed the commitment to end the war quickly and is now pushing for a ceasefire. He has taken a very different attitude towards Ukraine from that of Biden, who promised to provide weapons and another help to Kiev “as needed”.

Trump pressed Ukraine to make pre -before concessions. He suspended military help and assistance with regard to the information he gave to Ukraine a week after a public conflict with Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenski and has not expressed a specific commitment to future US military assistance.

At the same time, Russia is seeking a large reconstruction and reform of its army, including modernization of equipment and increasing weapons production, according to an assessment of the Danish Intelligence Service published in February.

If the war in Ukraine is over or freezing under a ceasefire agreement, Russia could be able to wage a large -scale war in Eastern Europe over the next five years, if NATO fails to strengthen its defense, the NBC reports.