The Trump administration intends to halt longtime security assistance programs for Europe, including an initiative to fortify the continent's eastern flank against a potential attack by Russia, as it endeavors to recast Washington's role within NATO, according to six people familiar with the matter.

The decision would affect hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of military aid relied upon by some of the alliance's most vulnerable members. It has alarmed U.S. allies struggling to comprehend the administration's policy toward Europe and its chief adversary in the Kremlin after President Donald Trump, eager for a deal to end Russia's war in Ukraine, reached out to its mercurial leader, Vladimir Putin. U.S. lawmakers, meanwhile, are confused by the move.

"The Russians genuinely only care a

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