BUCHAREST--The United States plans to cut the number of troops present on Europe's eastern flank, including soldiers who were to be stationed at Romania's Mihail Kogalniceanu air base, Romania's defence ministry said on Wednesday.
The ministry said the decision was expected given changes in Washington's priorities, and that roughly 1,000 U.S. troops would continue to be stationed in Romania. Between 1,000 and 1,200 U.S. troops rotated out a month ago and will not be replaced, it said in a statement.
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 on 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 defence ministry said.
The U.S. military said the decision not to replace departing American troops in Romania was not "an American withdrawal from Europe or a signal of lessened commitment to NATO."
But in a rare move, the top U.S. Republican lawmakers on the Senate and House Armed Services Committees slammed the move."We strongly oppose the decision not to maintain the rotational U.S. brigade in Romania," the joint statement said, adding that the lawmakers were seeking clarification from the Pentagon.
Defence Minister Ionut Mosteanu told a news conference that the brigade had troops in Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary and Slovakia.He said Bucharest's ties with Washington remained strong and that the permanent allied presence remained "considerable", at around 3,500 NATO troops including U.S. soldiers.
"It is enough for our needs," Mosteanu said. "The expectation of having entire foreign armies here to defend us is unrealistic. We will continue to invest in the Romanian army."
He said Romania had received an advanced air defence system from Washington which would enhance the country's ability to protect itself against drones breaching its airspace.
