US to Scale Back Troops in Romania as Part of European Drawdown Efforts
In a move aimed at rebalancing its military presence across the globe, the US is set to reduce the number of troops stationed in Romania, scaling back NATO's deployment along Europe's eastern border. The decision, announced by the US Army on Wednesday, marks the first official acknowledgment from the United States of plans to downsize its footprint in Europe.
The redeployment will see the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team of the 101st Airborne Division, currently stationed in Romania, return to their home-based unit in Kentucky "without replacement." The move is part of a broader effort to reassess the global posture of US military forces.
Roughly 4,000 troops were deployed to Romania in 2022 following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with the goal of reassuring allies worried about the potential for Russian aggression to extend into NATO's eastern flank. However, under the new administration, priorities have shifted, with calls on European allies to invest more in their own defense capabilities.
The Romanian Ministry of National Defense confirmed that the US decision would result in a reduction of approximately 1,000 troops stationed in Romania, down from around 1,700 previously stationed at the Mihail Kogălniceanu airbase. The troops were part of a first line of defense if Russia's invasion of Ukraine were to extend further west.
The move has sparked criticism from some US lawmakers and NATO allies, who argue that it undermines deterrence and risks inviting further Russian aggression. "This decision also sends the wrong signal to Russia at the very moment President Trump is applying pressure to force Vladimir Putin to come to the table to achieve a lasting peace in Ukraine," said Republican leaders of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees.
Despite concerns, European officials project calm about the intended withdrawal, calling it "expected" as part of a review by the Pentagon that had signaled plans to rotate troops out of Europe. Romanian Defense Minister Ionuț Moșteanu expressed confidence that Romania would continue to invest in its own defense capabilities.
The decision comes at a time when European allies are increasingly concerned about NATO's continued commitment to restraining Russia, which has been waging a full-scale invasion against Ukraine on NATO's eastern flank since February 2022. The move is also seen as part of the US President Trump's strategy to prioritize military engagement in the Indo-Pacific region and focus on its own borders and priorities in the western hemisphere.
In a move aimed at rebalancing its military presence across the globe, the US is set to reduce the number of troops stationed in Romania, scaling back NATO's deployment along Europe's eastern border. The decision, announced by the US Army on Wednesday, marks the first official acknowledgment from the United States of plans to downsize its footprint in Europe.
The redeployment will see the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team of the 101st Airborne Division, currently stationed in Romania, return to their home-based unit in Kentucky "without replacement." The move is part of a broader effort to reassess the global posture of US military forces.
Roughly 4,000 troops were deployed to Romania in 2022 following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with the goal of reassuring allies worried about the potential for Russian aggression to extend into NATO's eastern flank. However, under the new administration, priorities have shifted, with calls on European allies to invest more in their own defense capabilities.
The Romanian Ministry of National Defense confirmed that the US decision would result in a reduction of approximately 1,000 troops stationed in Romania, down from around 1,700 previously stationed at the Mihail Kogălniceanu airbase. The troops were part of a first line of defense if Russia's invasion of Ukraine were to extend further west.
The move has sparked criticism from some US lawmakers and NATO allies, who argue that it undermines deterrence and risks inviting further Russian aggression. "This decision also sends the wrong signal to Russia at the very moment President Trump is applying pressure to force Vladimir Putin to come to the table to achieve a lasting peace in Ukraine," said Republican leaders of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees.
Despite concerns, European officials project calm about the intended withdrawal, calling it "expected" as part of a review by the Pentagon that had signaled plans to rotate troops out of Europe. Romanian Defense Minister Ionuț Moșteanu expressed confidence that Romania would continue to invest in its own defense capabilities.
The decision comes at a time when European allies are increasingly concerned about NATO's continued commitment to restraining Russia, which has been waging a full-scale invasion against Ukraine on NATO's eastern flank since February 2022. The move is also seen as part of the US President Trump's strategy to prioritize military engagement in the Indo-Pacific region and focus on its own borders and priorities in the western hemisphere.
OMG y'all, I'm literally shocked!!!! Like, I know we can't control everything going on in Europe but scaling back troops from Romania is like super concerning 
The 2k troop reduction will kinda make a big impact on NATO's presence there & it's already got some ppl upset in the States & EU 
I get why the new admin wants to prioritize other regions but can't we just, like, keep a solid relationship with our Eastern allies? 
We're all about helping Ukraine right now 
What do u guys think tho? Should US be outta Europe? 
. I mean, what's Trump trying to prove? Like, didn't the whole point of NATO was to have our backs in case some country like Russia decided to mess with us? Now it feels like they're all about the Indo-Pacific thing and whatever else... It's like, don't we still got a problem over here?! 
they think russia wont take advantage of this lol what if russia starts invading europe now? i mean we all know usa isnt exactly swimming in cash rn so dont be like "oh welp im just gonna redeploy to the pacific" 
meanwhile european countries are like "hey dont leave us hanging" but they probably know it's a given that usa wouldre do this cuz priorities are literally everywhere at once 
its kinda weird that they're pulling troops out of Romania after all the drama with Russia, i mean we dont no whats gonna happen if russia decides to move on other nato countries 
Also, I don't get why there's so much drama about this. NATO is always saying one thing and doing another... can we just have some transparency for once? 
i mean, i get it, europe needs to step up their game and invest more in their own defense but come on, us was already putting so much effort into keeping russia at bay 
anyway, idk, maybe its all part of the bigger picture with trump's new strategy and all but i just cant help feeling a lil uneasy about it 
. Plus, with Russia still all over Ukraine, I'm not sure how this is gonna affect the overall security situation... 
but i guess now they're just leaving? 
it makes sense tho cuz usa wants to focus on other stuff like the indo-pacific region 
nato has got this 
. it's not like usa is abandoning their allies or something... that's just a myth perpetuated by conspiracy theorists 
. anyway, i'm more concerned about the fact that europeans aren't investing enough in their own defense capabilities 
. and btw, 4000 troops just to prop up romania? that's a lotta cash 
they could be investin in somethin more practical like education or healthcare. and lets be real, we cant even agree on nothin back home 
. And I wonder if this move will have a ripple effect on other parts of Europe, like Poland or the Baltic states 
