U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly helped prevent Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth from announcing significant reductions in American troop levels in Europe during a NATO meeting last month, according to an unverified report from OSINTdefender.
The report, published by the OSINTdefender channel, states that Marco Rubio helped block Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's plan to announce major troop cuts in Europe during a NATO meeting last month. The claim is unverified and originates from a single source.
The report comes amid escalating tensions within the Trump administration over the U.S. military posture in Europe. As The Zioneer has reported, Hegseth has publicly criticized European NATO allies for insufficient defense spending and accused them of "free riding" on American military support. He also announced a Pentagon review of U.S. military presence in Europe, lasting up to six months. Meanwhile, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said this month that a reduction in U.S. forces from Europe has already taken effect.
The purported clash between Rubio and Hegseth appears to be the latest internal administration disagreement over the direction of American foreign and defense policy. It is not yet clear whether Hegseth will continue to pursue the troop reduction plan despite Rubio's reported opposition.
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- DevelopingUS sources: Trump considers firing senior officials who opposed Iran deal, sparing Rubio
- DevelopingNATO chief says US troop reduction from Europe takes effect
Source and signal
A single-sourced dispatch is never rated Confirmed or Strong. Its Signal strengthens only when a second, independent source corroborates it.
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