US defense secretary prepared plan for additional US troop cuts in Europe: Report

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth prepared a plan for additional reductions in US troop levels in Europe before the proposal was shelved, The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.

Hegseth planned to announce the proposal during a meeting of NATO's top military officials in Brussels last month.

The proposed reductions would have gone beyond the canceled deployment of an armored brigade to Poland and the earlier withdrawal of an infantry brigade from Romania, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter.

The proposal was shelved after it was shared with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who also serves as President Donald Trump's national security adviser, and other senior officials.

Hegseth had reportedly intended to tell NATO military chiefs that the US was preparing additional troop reductions in Europe.

In May, the Trump administration announced plans to withdraw about 5,000 US troops from Europe.