U.S. President Donald Trump makes remarks within the Oval Workplace of the White Home in Washington, Thursday (native time). EPA-Yonhap
U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an annual protection coverage invoice that features a measure to limit the federal government from unilaterally lowering the present troop degree of the 28,500-strong U.S. Forces Korea (USFK), in line with the White Home.
The Nationwide Protection Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal yr 2026, which authorizes funding for the Division of Protection from October this yr to September subsequent yr, handed the Home of Representatives final week and the Senate on Wednesday earlier than being signed into legislation by Trump.
The invoice says that quantities approved underneath the act is probably not obligated or expended to scale back U.S. troops in Korea, although it leaves open the door for using the funds following the certification that the USFK troop discount is within the U.S. nationwide safety curiosity and that the motion is being undertaken solely after applicable consultations with allies, together with Korea.
Additionally, with out such a certification, funds allotted underneath the act is probably not expended to finish the transition of wartime operational management from the USA to Korea in a fashion that deviates from a bilateral settlement, the invoice says.
The measure to limit the USFK troop drawdown reappeared within the invoice for the primary time in 5 years. It was included within the NDAA throughout the first Trump administration in a transfer to assist stop a unilateral troop drawdown.
The invoice authorizes $901 billion in army spending for the upcoming fiscal yr.
Congress passes it annually to set protection coverage and funding priorities and provides steerage on a variety of key safety issues.
