US to withdraw some troops from NATO’s eastern flank, Romania says

Romania and NATO allies were notified of US plans to cut the number of troops stationed on Europe’s eastern flank including soldiers who were to be stationed at Romania’s Mihail Kogalniceanu air base, Romania’s defense ministry said on Wednesday.

Washington’s European allies have been told previously by the administration of President Donald Trump that they will need to take more responsibility for their own security as the United States focuses more on its own borders and the Indo-Pacific region.

“The American decision is to stop the rotation in Europe of a brigade that had elements in several NATO countries,” the defense ministry said.

It said the decision was expected given changes in Washington’s priorities, but that roughly 1,000 US troops will continue to be stationed in Romania.

“The decision also took into account that NATO has consolidated its presence and activity on the eastern flank which enables the United States to adjust its military posture in the region,” the ministry said. It did not specify how many US troops will be withdrawn.

There was no immediate comment from NATO.

Despite worries on NATO’s eastern flank about the potential scaling back of the United States’ presence in the region at a time when Russia continues to wage war in Ukraine, Trump said in September that Washington could increase its troop presence in Poland.