USA launches review of its military presence in Europe

The United States has formally launched a review of its military footprint across Europe, multiple Bulgarian outlets reported on 28 July 2026. The move follows remarks made by US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at a NATO defense ministers meeting in June, when he first signalled that such an assessment was coming. Mediapool and Dariknews both carried the story, citing Agence France-Presse.

The US has maintained tens of thousands of troops on European soil since the Cold War. Any reshuffling of that presence would affect every NATO country, including Bulgaria.

What Washington actually said

US Deputy Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby, described by Bulgarian media as the second-ranking official at the Pentagon, explained the scope of the review. According to Dariknews, citing the Bulgarian news agency BTA, Colby said the process is designed to ensure that NATO moves rapidly and irreversibly toward a Europe that takes primary responsibility for its own conventional defence. He added that the outcome should be a faster transition toward a more solid, fair, and sustainable alliance.

Washington is not signalling an exit from Europe, but a shift in who pays and who leads. Hegseth has also reportedly threatened to reduce the US contribution to NATO's budget if certain allies refuse to honour commitments made at last year's Hague summit, where member states pledged to spend at least 5 percent of GDP on security by 2035, with 3.5 percent earmarked strictly for military purposes, Dariknews reports.

The Iran flashpoint and what it means for Bulgaria

AFP, as relayed by Mediapool, notes that Washington sharply criticised European nations that refused to allow American forces to use NATO bases on their territory during the conflict with Iran. That friction has added urgency to the question of what the US expects from its allies in return for its presence.

For Bulgaria, the stakes are concrete. Dnevnik notes that one of the most-read domestic stories is a commentary arguing that the deployment of American aircraft at Bezmer airbase guarantees Bulgaria's energy security, showing how closely military and economic questions are linked in Sofia's calculations.

Any rebalancing of US forces shifts the security calculus for the whole continent. Bulgaria sits on NATO's southeastern flank with a Black Sea coastline. If Washington reduces its presence, European allies, including Sofia, will need to increase their own commitments faster than many governments have budgeted for.