Hegseth: Some US troops may be redeployed from Europe to the Western Hemisphere
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said on October 3 that some US military personnel may be moved from Europe to the Western Hemisphere as Washington expands its campaign against drug cartels in Central and South America. Hegseth linked the redeployment to new partnerships with Ecuador, Honduras, Guatemala and Panama and referenced the US capture of former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.
Key points
- Hegseth told reporters in Colorado Springs, Colorado on October 3 that some US forces may be redeployed from Europe to the Western Hemisphere
- The redeployment is tied to an expanding US campaign against drug cartels in Central and South America
- Hegseth cited US partnerships with Ecuador, Honduras, Guatemala and Panama
- Hegseth said the US has "a brand new set of options for economic and military pressure" and referenced the US capture of former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro
- Some redeployed forces and assets could go to a planned new "large, beautiful" US base or to other Western Hemisphere positions to fight terrorist organizations
- The Pentagon is conducting a six-month review of US military posture in Europe, due to conclude in December, to shift routine defense responsibilities to NATO allies
- On May 19, NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe General Grinkevich confirmed a withdrawal of 5,000 US troops from Europe and said it would not affect NATO defense capability
Why it matters
A potential redeployment of US forces from Europe signals a shift in the US military footprint on the continent, against the backdrop of the Pentagon's ongoing six-month review of European posture and prior reports of a drawdown of several thousand US personnel from Germany in 2026. Hegseth framed the move as part of an escalating campaign against drug cartels in the Western Hemisphere, where the US is building new partnerships in Central and South America.
What happened
Speaking to reporters in Colorado Springs, Colorado on October 3, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said some US military personnel may be redeployed from Europe to the Western Hemisphere. He tied the move to the Trump administration's expanding campaign against drug cartels and to US partnerships with Ecuador, Honduras, Guatemala and Panama. Hegseth said some redeployed forces and assets would go either to a new "large, beautiful" US base announced in a Wednesday speech, or to other positions in the Western Hemisphere to fight what he called terrorist organizations. He also said the US has "a brand new set of options for economic and military pressure" and referenced the US capture of former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro as a recent success. Hegseth also announced a 20% reduction in generals and general officer positions in the US Armed Forces, and the Pentagon is conducting a six-month review of US military posture in Europe, scheduled to conclude in December, aimed at shifting routine defense responsibilities to NATO allies on the continent.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Both supplied articles, from Ukrainian agencies Ukrinform and LIGA.net, cover Hegseth's remarks as a news item and place them in the context of prior reports about US troop withdrawals from Europe and the Pentagon's European posture review. The coverage centers on the redeployment announcement itself rather than its implications for Ukraine specifically.
Background
The redeployment discussion sits alongside several earlier reported drawdown signals: a planned withdrawal of several thousand US personnel from Germany during 2026 (reported May 2), confirmation by NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe General Grinkevich on May 19 of a 5,000-troop withdrawal from Europe (which he said would not affect NATO defense capability), and a September 17 NBC News report that the US may cut roughly one-third of its contingent in Europe despite the Russian threat. In August, The Wall Street Journal reported that the US plans to disband a strike drone unit in Europe that was formed in early 2026 based on Ukrainian experience.