The United States has informed Romania and other NATO member states of its decision to reduce the number of American troops stationed along the Alliance’s eastern flank in Europe, Romania’s Ministry of Defence announced on Wednesday. Around 1,000 US soldiers will remain in Romania, the ministry added.
The reduction will include personnel from the Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base near Constanța on the Black Sea, according to a statement released by the Romanian Defence Ministry.
“The change in US troop levels reflects new priorities announced by the presidential administration in February. The decision also takes into account NATO’s strengthened presence and activity on the eastern flank, which allows the United States to adjust its military posture in the region,” the ministry stated.
The US Army Europe and Africa Command confirmed that the 2nd Brigade Combat Team of the 101st Airborne Division will return from Europe to its home base in Kentucky.
“This is not an American withdrawal from Europe, nor a signal of reduced commitment to NATO and Article 5. It is rather a positive sign of Europe’s growing capability and responsibility,” the command emphasised.
In response to the Romanian announcement, a NATO official told Reuters that the Alliance and the United States remain in close contact regarding troop levels, and that Washington had informed NATO in advance about its planned reductions along the eastern flank. The official stressed that “adjusting the number and deployment of US forces is not unusual,” and that “the US military presence in Europe remains at its highest level in many years.”
European Commission spokesman Thomas Regnier said on Wednesday that the reduction in US forces on NATO’s eastern flank would not affect the EU’s defence plans. The Commission continues to pursue its plan for the Eastern Flank Guard to achieve initial operational capability by the end of 2026.
“This does not alter our defence roadmap or the four flagship projects it highlights, including the Eastern Flank Guard,” Regnier said. “Our goal is clear: we aim to launch the project by the end of the first quarter of 2026 and to have its first operational services in place by the end of that year.”
US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker reaffirmed America’s “strong presence and enduring commitment” in Europe, describing the partnership between the United States and Romania as “stronger than ever.”
“Across NATO, allies such as Romania are demonstrating increased capability and responsibility. Over more than 20 years of membership, Romania has consistently worked with the United States to advance our shared defence goals,” Whitaker wrote on X.
However, senior Republican chairmen of the Armed Services Committees in both houses of Congress criticised the Pentagon’s decision, calling it a “wrong signal” to Russia and inconsistent with President Donald Trump’s strategic direction. They said they would seek assurances that, in line with Trump’s statements, two US armoured brigades would remain stationed in Poland and that America would maintain its rotational presence in Poland, the Baltic states, and Romania.
A few hours after the Romanian Defence Ministry’s announcement, Poland’s Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz confirmed that the troop reduction would not affect Poland.
“We have received no information regarding any decrease in the US military contingent in our country,” he said, adding that American officials had repeatedly reaffirmed their readiness to maintain or even increase their presence in Poland. “Poland and the United States are ironclad allies,” he declared.
Defence Ministry spokesman Janusz Sejmej also said that Poland had not been notified of any such reduction plans. He reminded the media of the recent discussions between President Karol Nawrocki and US President Trump, as well as between Defence Minister Kosiniak-Kamysz and US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, during which both sides confirmed the continued and potentially expanded presence of US troops in Poland.
Lithuania’s Foreign Minister, Kęstutis Budrys, likewise stated that he had received no indication, official or otherwise, that the US planned to reduce its forces in Lithuania.
Currently, approximately 84,000 American soldiers are stationed in Europe, including around 10,000 in Poland, 37,000 in Germany, 13,000 in Italy, and about 10,000 in the United Kingdom. US troops are also deployed in Spain, Portugal, Turkey, Greece, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. According to the recent announcement, around 1,000 US personnel will remain in Romania.
Photo: x/braveromania
Tomasz Modrzejewski
