A new policy analysis from the Cato Institute challenges conventional wisdom about America’s military presence in Europe, concluding that European NATO members possess sufficient economic and military capabilities to deter Russia without U.S. ground forces.

“Europe is wealthy and populous enough to carry out a defensive doctrine,” writes Benjamin Giltner of the Cato Institute in the analysis released today. “This doctrine and force deployment would enable a European-led NATO to deter Russia while minimizing risks of escalation.”

The analysis comes as fiscal pressures mount at home and policymakers increasingly focus on China’s rise in the Indo-Pacific. Giltner proposes a “defense-in-depth” strategy that would deploy light defenses in the Baltic states while concentrating European mechanized and armored forces in Germany and Poland.

If you’d like to speak with Giltner, please reach out to Madison: pr@​cato.​org.