U.S. to End Support for Eastern Europe Military Training Program

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief

WASHINGTON/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Europe faced fresh anxiety Friday after the White House confirmed the United States will end support for a program that helped prepare Eastern European armies to counter potential Russian aggression.

A diplomat acknowledged the move was “causing a lot of concern and uncertainty,” likening it to U.S. President Donald J. Trump’s earlier cuts in international aid.

The program, part of so-called “section 333 funding,” allocated $1.6 billion in Europe between 2018 and 2022, about 29 percent of global spending. Key recipients included Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office.

White House officials said the decision is part of phasing out longstanding security assistance programs, which is in line with Trump’s demand that Europe take more responsibility for its defense. The cuts also follow an executive order signed by Trump on his first day in office, requiring that U.S. foreign aid align strictly with his policies.

Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, called the decision “misguided” and warned it undermines efforts to deter Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The U.S. Foreign Military Financing program — which covers major purchases such as jets, ships, and tanks — remains unaffected. However, the cuts come as Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby seeks to shift U.S. defense priorities toward the Indo-Pacific to counter China, raising new questions about Washington’s long-term commitment to Europe.

The developments also unsettled Poland, Eastern Europe’s largest NATO contributor, though Trump assured President Karol Nawrocki in Washington that U.S. troops would remain and vowed to back Warsaw “all the way.”

He said he wanted the bloodshed in Ukraine “stopped now” and warned that any Russian peace proposal would be judged bluntly: “We will either be happy about it or unhappy — and if we’re unhappy about it, you’ll see things happen.”

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