US Nearly Fully Withdraws Troops from Estonia Amid Review of European Presence
The United States has largely pulled its troops out of Estonia after the Pentagon paused rotations and began a global force posture review. Estonian officials say the move is temporary and linked to a broader reassessment of US military presence in Europe.
According to Estonian public broadcaster ERR, American forces have significantly reduced their footprint in Estonia. The Pentagon has halted the deployment of new units to Europe and initiated a review of its global force disposition.
A bilateral defense cooperation agreement between Estonia and the US stipulates that between 500 and 700 American soldiers should be stationed in the country. However, only a small contingent — mostly support personnel — currently remains, ERR reports.
Kalev Stoicescu, chairman of the Riigikogu's National Defence Committee from the Eesti 200 party, stated that this is a temporary suspension of rotation and part of a broader review of US presence in Europe. “They started the rotation, but its implementation has been paused until a final decision on the presence of US armed forces in Europe. This decision may be made within six months,” he said.
Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur (Reform Party) confirmed that the current situation is related to the planned summer rotation, but the exact timing for the return of new units is not yet known. “The Americans traditionally conduct a rotation in the summer. This process is ongoing now, but due to the force structure review we do not yet know how many soldiers and which units will arrive,” he stated.
According to Estonian politicians, Washington aims to redistribute security responsibilities within NATO, increasing the role of European countries in regional defense. Meanwhile, military contingents from the United Kingdom and France remain in Estonia and continue their scheduled rotations.
