BERLIN (dpa-AFX) - The United States will review its force posturing across the world.
This was announced by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth while meeting with members of the media during a visit to U.S. Africa Command in Stuttgart, Germany, Tuesday.
He spoke about the Defense Department's force posturing priorities on the European and African continents
The secretary said the U.S. would consider any significant re-posturing of forces only after ending the war in Ukraine and ensuring European NATO countries raise their defense spending to sufficient levels.
Hegseth clarified that any future re-posturing of U.S. forces in Europe should not be viewed as an abandonment of America's allies.
'We would be remiss in not reviewing force posture everywhere, but it would be the wrong planning assumption to say, 'America is abandoning [Europe]' or 'America is leaving.' No, America is smart to observe, plan, prioritize and project power to deter conflict,' Hegseth said.
When asked whether visiting Africom on his first overseas trip as defense secretary should be taken as a sign that U.S. strategic aims in Africa are changing, Hegseth pointed to the threat posed by China in that region.
Regarding troop posturing in the European area of responsibility, Hegseth said there are currently no plans to shift forces from Europe to the Indo-Pacific region to deal with the emerging threat from China.
The U.S. defense chief also visited U.S. European Command earlier in the day.
Hegseth is scheduled to travel to Brussels next to attend the NATO Defense Ministerial and the Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting.
At his first NATO ministerial with allied counterparts, Hegseth is set to engage with NATO allies and partners to discuss the need to boost allied defense spending, increase European leadership and expand defense industrial base capacity on both sides of the Atlantic.
At the UDCG, Hegseth plans to reiterate President Donald Trump's commitment to a diplomatic and expedient end to the war in Ukraine and highlight the need for increased European leadership on security assistance to that country, according to the Pentagon.
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