[message sent] His reply comes as a surprise.

[message ding] The US will support activating the defense plans with European forces if NATO allies have consensus.

Separately, the Supreme Allied Commander Europe will have heard through US national channels that he is to avoid any action that could involve US-Russian direct kinetic activity.

Washington is determined under no circumstances to be drawn into a new war in Europe.

People are raising all sorts of concerns about whether the United States is going to get wrapped up in a conflict that, frankly, we thought had been addressed several months ago.

Second-

"We don't wanna do anything that might call into question the work to create a broader basis for a constructive relationship with Russia, including economically."

Since he's American, you're hearing his original voice, whereas the German-speaking participants have been dubbed by fellow journalists.

I just want to give you my reactions, keeping in mind that it's very early here in Washington.

Where do the Americans stand? How will NATO respond? Still sounding slightly groggy, the Secretary of State sends a message to America's allies.

There is an allegation that there might be Russian troops in Lithuania, and that is something that is quite serious if it turns out to be true.

I look forward to talking to you all within the NATO alliance, which the United States remains a firm supporter of.

troop presence in Germany.

Uh, I think this is quite likely to happen.

Uh, th- there's a difference to 2020.

In 2020, um, there was not the planning to back up, um, the president's, uh, declaration that he was gonna withdraw about a third of American troops from Germany.

Uh, in this case, the president made his announcement just as the Pentagon was getting to the end of a review of the United States' global force posture.

So, uh, in that regard, the Pentagon was moving in this direction before the president made the announcement, and, uh, I think there's every reason to expect they're going to carry it out.

So big picture, if this troop reduction does go ahead, what might that mean for U.S.-Europe relations? What might it mean for NATO?

Mm-hmm.