US to cut some troops on NATO's eastern flank, Romania says
Bucharest and other NATO members were informed about U.S. plans to reduce troop deployments on Europe's eastern flank, the Romanian Defense Ministry said on Oct. 29.
The move comes as part of a broader reassessment of the U.S. military's global presence and reflects Washington's foreign policy U-turn as its allies face their most dire security challenge since the Cold War, with Russia's all-out war against Ukraine fueling concerns about direct attacks on Europe.
"The American decision involves halting the rotation in Europe of a brigade that had units in several NATO countries," the statement read.
The Romanian ministry described the decision as expected, saying that the U.S. had previously communicated its plans to allied countries.
Some of the troops affected were scheduled to be stationed at Romania's Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base, a major NATO hub on the Black Sea. Around 1,000 U.S. soldiers will remain deployed on Romanian soil.
It remains unclear how many U.S. troops will be withdrawn.
"The decision also took into account the fact that NATO has consolidated its presence and activity on the eastern flank, allowing the United States to adjust its military posture in the region," the ministry said.
The measure will not affect the EU's plans to implement the first part of the Eastern Flank Watch defense program in 2026, European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier said.
The project is an initiative to strengthen the bloc's eastern borders against threats from Russia and its main ally, Belarus. It will integrate air defense, surveillance, and maritime security systems.
"This doesn't change our plans when it comes to the defense roadmap that we have presented and the four essential flagships that are highlighted there, including the Eastern flank Watch," Regnier said.
"Of course, we take note of the announcement, but we have a clear path and a clear vision when it comes to Europe's defense."
The EU aims to launch the Eastern Flank Watch project in the first quarter of 2026 and, by the end of 2026, "first initial services of this Eastern Flank to be already operational," Regnier added.
In April, NBC News reported, citing American and European officials, that the U.S. is considering withdrawing up to 10,000 troops from Eastern Europe. This would scale back the temporary surge of 20,000 U.S. troops deployed in 2022 to bolster NATO's eastern flank following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
U.S. forces are currently stationed across Poland, Romania, and the Baltic states to deter further Russian aggression and reassure allies bordering the region.
As Russian escalation toward NATO countries has intensified in recent months, with around 20 Russian drones entering Polish airspace in September, Trump promised to help defend the eastern flank's countries if the tensions continue.
Last month, he also proposed sending additional American troops to Poland.
