Eight Democratic senators in the U.S. Senate called for the State Department to play a more active role in the process reviewing the U.S. military deployment and force posture in Europe.
The initiative was led by Jeanne Shaheen, the senior Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and also included Richard Blumenthal, Tammy Duckworth, Mazie Hirono, Tim Kaine, Angus King, Jacky Rosen and Mark Kelly. In a letter sent Thursday, the senators directed their appeal to Secretary of State and National Security Adviser Marco Rubio.
They called for diplomatic interests to be considered
The letter said decisions on troop deployments and force posture in Europe should not be limited to military assessments. The senators called for an interagency process that would also take diplomatic interests into account.
Noting that Rubio serves both as secretary of state and national security adviser, the senators said the review should proceed in close consultation and meaningful partnership with the State Department. They also expressed concern about reports that the Defense Department had not adequately consulted the State Department throughout the process.
Review announced in June
The Pentagon announced the European Force Posture Review in June. The senators said that U.S. ambassadors and chiefs of mission in countries that could be affected by changes had been left out of the consultation process for the review, which is expected to examine U.S. military deployments and force posture across Europe.
The senators said decisions resulting from the review could have lasting effects on U.S. relations with its NATO allies. They called on Rubio to ensure the State Department is fully and effectively involved in every subsequent stage of the process.
