Brussels: The United States has informed its NATO allies that it will scale back its troop presence along Europe’s eastern border with Ukraine as it focuses on security priorities elsewhere in the world, Romania’s defence ministry said on Wednesday.
The US Army later confirmed the move, but denied it was a sign of lessened commitment to NATO.
Depending on operations and exercises, around 80,000-100,000 US troops are usually present on European soil. NATO allies have expressed concern that the Trump administration might drastically cut their numbers and leave a security vacuum as European countries confront an increasingly aggressive Russia.
The administration has been reviewing its military “posture” in Europe and elsewhere, but US officials have said that the findings of the review were not expected to be known before early next year.
NATO has recently been bulking up its defensive posture on its eastern flank bordering Belarus, Russia and Ukraine after a series of airspace violations by drones, balloons and Russian aircraft.
The Romanian defence ministry said that the US decision will “stop the rotation in Europe of a brigade that had elements in several NATO countries,” including at a base in Romania.
It said in a statement that about 1,000 US troops will remain stationed in Romania. As of April, more than 1,700 US military personnel were estimated to be deployed there. A brigade usually numbers anywhere from 1,500 to 3,000 troops.
Romania’s Defence Minister Ionut Mosteanu said the decision reflects Washington’s shift “toward the Indo-Pacific” region, and that allied troop numbers would remain above the number before Russia’s full-scale invasion of neighbouring Ukraine.
“Our strategic partnership is solid, predictable, and reliable,” he said in a news conference.
In a post on X, US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker said the US “remains committed to Romania.”
“Our strong presence in and enduring commitment to Europe remains steadfast, including support for Eastern Sentry,” a NATO operation along the eastern flank, he wrote.