A retired U.S. general sends a warning message to Europe: ‘That time has come to an end"
Former U.S. Army Europe Commander Ben Hodges warns of the looming threat over the Baltic.
General Ben Hodges is a retired United States Army officer who served as Commander of U.S. Army Europe (USAREUR) from 2014 to 2017. He is known for his expertise in military strategy, European security, and especially for his strong stance against Russian threats. He joined the Army in 1980 and participated in operations such as Desert Storm (Iraq), Bosnia, Kosovo, and Afghanistan.
During his three years in Europe, he oversaw U.S. ground forces across more than 51 countries, playing a key role in strengthening NATO in Eastern Europe after Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014.
Hodges has been highly critical of Russia’s aggression and has advocated for an increased U.S. and NATO military presence in Eastern Europe.He supported the deployment of troops and equipment to countries like Poland and the Baltic states to deter Moscow, and he remains a strong supporter of military aid to Ukraine, including the provision of advanced weaponry, even criticizing the West’s slowness in providing sufficient help during Russia’s 2022 invasion.
Now, Hodges sees another clear threat to Europe: the eastern flank, where a possible withdrawal of U.S. troops would pose a major risk to the entire continent.It is estimated that the number of U.S. forces in Europe ranges between 70,000 and 90,000 soldiers; however, all estimates indicate a significant drop compared to the 1950s, when over 400,000 soldiers were stationed on the continent during the height of the Cold War.
Withdrawing (or even reducing) U.S. troop numbers in Europe would significantly weaken deterrence against Russia, with consequences for both Europeans and Americans, current and former U.S. military officials and analysts warn. A report from the German Economic Institute (IW Cologne) warned this week that it could take Europe between 10 and 12 years to replace these key U.S. military capabilities.
“My advice is to maintain the current state of the armed forces,” said General Christopher Cavoli earlier this month, commander of U.S. Forces in Europe and NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe.Cavoli is set to retire this summer, and according to reports, Washington is considering giving up command of NATO after his departure, which would allow a European to occupy the position for the first time since the alliance’s founding in 1949.
According to the British think tank International Institute for Strategic Studies, the largest contingent of U.S. troops stationed abroad is in Europe, with more than 38,000 based in Germany. More than 14,000 are in Poland, 12,000 in Italy, and 10,000 in Britain. In early April 2025, NBC News reported that the Pentagon was considering withdrawing up to 10,000 troops from Central Europe, mainly from Poland and Romania, although U.S. authorities later denied this information.
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