Rutte Confirms US Force Reduction in Europe Takes Immediate Effect

🛡️ NATO — Europe's defense pledge and America's withdrawal are now happening simultaneously. 📌 LOOK CLOSER: Yesterday's NATO crisis force pledges were framed as allied reinforcement — today Rutte confirms the US drawdown they were meant to offset is already live. European capitals are backfilling a gap that's actively opening, not hypothetical. With US forces committed to Hormuz and Pacific theaters, the timeline pressure on European defense spending just became operational, not political.