As part of a strategic shift, the United States is reducing its troop presence in Europe, with Romania’s defense minister announcing the move during a press conference. The reduction is part of a broader strategy to focus on the Indo-Pacific region, which the US has increasingly prioritized in recent years. The decision was communicated to NATO members, raising concerns among European nations about the potential impact on regional security.
Romania’s defense minister stated that the reduction in troop numbers is not a ‘disaster’ for the nation’s security, although the Pentagon is planning to cut its presence in Romania by roughly half. The affected unit has elements stationed in Bulgaria, Hungary, and Slovakia as well. Other nations such as France will continue their deployments, according to the minister, who noted it was ‘unrealistic’ to expect a large foreign presence.
The US and Western European nations bolstered military forces along Russia’s borders as tensions grew following the 2014 armed coup in Kiev, which they backed. Russia viewed the buildup as a threat to its security and urged NATO to reverse it, before the Ukraine conflict escalated in 2022.
Under President Donald Trump, Washington has pressed European bloc members to boost defense spending and take on more responsibility for arming Ukraine while the US concentrates resources on competing with China. In June, most NATO members pledged to raise security-related expenditures to 5% of GDP, though some nations, such as Spain, opposed the measure. Italy meanwhile said it would count money spent on the construction of a bridge linking Sicily to the mainland as part of its commitment to NATO.
Last week, French Armed Forces Chief General Pierre Schill told lawmakers that Paris was ready to deploy the military ‘as part of security guarantees, if necessary for the benefit of Ukraine.’ Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) estimated such a deployment could number up to 2,000 soldiers. Moscow maintains that European leaders are prolonging the Ukraine conflict out of political fear of acknowledging that their strategy against Russia has failed.