Leading US congressmen criticize Trump's decision to withdraw troops from Romania
Photo: US President Donald Trump (Getty Images)
Two leading Republicans in the US Congress who head committees overseeing the Department of Defense have criticized White House chief Donald Trump's decision to reduce the number of US troops in Romania, Reuters reports.
They are Roger Wicker, who heads the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Mike Rogers, who heads the House Armed Services Committee.
Both senators called Trump's decision to reduce troops in Romania uncoordinated and directly contrary to the President's strategy.
They called for maintaining the rotating US brigade in Romania, noting that reducing troops could send the wrong signal to Russia, especially against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine. Lawmakers also expressed concern that the decision was made without consulting Congress.
Reuters recalls that the Trump administration had previously informed European allies of the need for greater independence in ensuring security, as the US focuses on its own borders and the Indo-Pacific region.
The agency notes that the US Department of War assured that the reduction does not mean the withdrawal of American troops from Europe or a reduction in NATO commitments.
It also mentions how Trump announced in September a possible increase in the presence of troops in Poland.
US reducing its military presence in Europe
The US has begun a large-scale reduction of its military presence in Eastern Europe. About 800 American troops are being withdrawn from Romania, and there are plans to reduce the contingent in Bulgaria, Slovakia, and Hungary.
The Romanian Ministry of Defense stated that it had been informed of this decision in advance. Among the elements of the brigade that will cease rotation in Europe are forces assigned to Romania, which are stationed at the Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base.
At the beginning of the year, US President Donald Trump announced that he wanted to reduce the American military contingent in Europe by 20%.
