The United States has informed its allies that it will reduce the number of troops stationed on NATO’s eastern flank, including Romania, as part of a broader shift in Washington’s strategic focus, Romania’s Defence Ministry announced on Wednesday.
According to the Romanian statement, the U.S. decision involves halting the rotation of a brigade that had elements deployed across several eastern flank countries, including Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary and Slovakia. Romania said around 1,000 U.S. troops will remain stationed in the country, with a draw-down mainly affecting forces at the Mihail Kogălniceanu air base near the Black Sea.
The ministry framed the move as an adjustment rather than a full withdrawal, noting that the reduction reflects the fact that NATO has strengthened its presence and activity in the region, giving the U.S. more flexibility to “adjust its military posture.” U.S. officials stressed that the overall American military presence in Europe remains “larger than it has been for many years.”
The tightening of the U.S. force posture coincides with Washington emphasising its strategic pivot toward the Indo-Pacific region and its own borders, a direction previously laid out by earlier administrations.
Despite the draw-down, Romanian Defence Minister Ionuţ Moşteanu said Bucharest’s bilateral security partnership with the U.S. remains “solid, predictable and reliable,” and that the country remains safe and committed to NATO membership.
Some NATO allies, especially those in central and eastern Europe, have voiced concern that the reduction may create a security gap at a time when Russian military activity near NATO borders remains elevated. Analysts say the timing—amid a continuing war in adjacent Ukraine and increased military risks—raises political and strategic questions about burden-sharing, deterrence and the nature of U.S. commitments to European defence.
NATO officials responded by saying the alliance was informed in advance of the U.S. adjustments and that such changes in force posture are not unusual, reaffirming that the alliance’s defence and deterrence capabilities remain robust.
