Romania’s defense ministry has announced that the US intends to reduce some of its troops stationed on NATO’s eastern flank. Between 900 and 1,000 American troops will remain in Romania, Bucharest said – a reduction from the current 1,700.
The ministry indicated that this decision was anticipated and is a consequence of evolving priorities under the Trump administration. Romanian Defense Minister Ionut Mosteanu mentioned that his US counterpart, Pete Hegseth, had recently communicated to European allies the need for greater self-reliance in defense, alongside a US strategic shift towards the Indo-Pacific region.
Mosteanu specified that one US brigade, currently stationed at the Mihai Kogalniceanu airbase (which is slated to become NATO’s largest on the continent), would be rotated out without replacement. This brigade has detachments in Bulgaria, Romania, Slovakia, and Hungary, though it remains unclear if troops will be withdrawn from these other nations as well.
In contrast, Poland’s Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz stated on Wednesday that Warsaw had no information regarding any potential reduction of US troops on its territory. The BBC has reached out to the Pentagon for comment.
Mosteanu also confirmed that the US troop presence at Romania’s Deveselu and Campia Turzii bases would remain unchanged. Since taking office, US President Donald Trump has consistently advocated for a pivot of American military focus from Europe to the Indo-Pacific, urging European NATO members to assume greater responsibility for continental defense.
This troop reduction in Romania is likely to cause concern among Eastern European nations, many of which harbor anxieties about potential future aggression from Russia. Following Bucharest’s announcement, a NATO official emphasized that Washington’s commitment to the alliance remains steadfast, and such adjustments in force posture are not unusual.
The official further noted, “Even with this adjustment, the US force posture in Europe remains larger than it has been for many years, with many more US forces on the continent than before 2022.” As of late last year, the US had over 100,000 military personnel deployed across Europe.
Last month, NATO announced the establishment of a new mission called “Eastern Sentry,” aimed at bolstering the alliance’s vigilance along its entire eastern flank. This initiative follows a series of airspace violations by Russian drones and warplanes in Polish and Estonian airspace, underscoring the heightened security concerns in the region since the conflict in Ukraine began in February 2022.