US Army's top Europe commander General Donahue pushed into early retirement

WASHINGTON, United States — WASHINGTON — General C.D. Donahue, the US Army's highest-ranking ground forces commander in Europe, is being moved into early retirement, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday. The decision is part of a broader removal of senior generals overseen by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. A four-star general with a special operations background, Donahue played a role in coordinating US military assistance to Ukraine. He previously served in Iraq, Syria and other conflict zones, and in 2021 oversaw the withdrawal of the last American troops from Afghanistan under then-President Joe Biden. His retirement is expected to be formally announced on Wednesday. The move comes roughly two months after Hegseth relieved Army Chief of Staff General Randy George in March. Both decisions have caused unease among officers across different ranks of the service. The leadership change coincides with Pentagon plans to reduce its command structure in Europe and with President Donald Trump's pressure on European allies to take greater responsibility for their own defense and for support to Ukraine. Hegseth has been a vocal critic of the Biden administration's handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal and launched a review of the operation. No official reason has been given for Donahue's removal.