US begins troop reductions in Eastern Europe amid NATO reassessment
Illustrative photo: US reduces troops in Europe (Getty Images)
The United States has begun a large-scale reduction of its military presence in Eastern Europe. About 800 American soldiers are being withdrawn from Romania, and plans are underway to reduce the contingent in Bulgaria, Slovakia, and Hungary, according to G4Media and RMF24.
According to G4Media.ro, on October 27, through official NATO procedures, the withdrawal of about 800 US troops from Romania was announced.
The decision was made by the White House and has already taken effect, although theoretically it could still be reviewed by the US Congress.
Currently, American units are stationed at Mihail Kogălniceanu, Deveselu, and Câmpia Turzii bases. It is not yet known at which base the reduction will take place.
Sources note that this step is not related to political events in Romania, including the annulment of the presidential election results, as troop withdrawals are also planned from Hungary.
G4Media.ro adds that the decision concerns four countries in total – Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia, and Hungary. Details regarding timelines, amounts, and specific withdrawal directions are not yet disclosed.
What the Romanian Ministry of Defense says
As noted by the Ministry of Defense, Bucharest was indeed informed about the US decision to “change the number of its troops in Europe.”
“The Ministry of National Defense was informed about the reduction of part of the American forces deployed on NATO’s eastern flank as part of a global reassessment of the US armed forces’ position,” the statement said.
The ministry stated that among the brigade elements that will cease rotation in Europe are forces intended for Romania, stationed at the Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base.
“This decision was expected, as Romania is in constant contact with its strategic American partner,” the Ministry of Defense added.
It also emphasized that the change in US troop numbers is “the result of new priorities” of the Donald Trump administration, which were announced back in February.
“When making the decision, it was also taken into account that NATO has strengthened its presence and activities on the eastern flank, allowing the United States to adjust its military position in the region,” the Ministry noted.
The US decision involves ending the rotation of a brigade in Europe that had units in several NATO countries. At the same time, about 1,000 US troops will remain deployed in Romania.
Poland was not informed about the reduction
Ministry of Defense spokesman Janusz Seymey said that Warsaw has not received any information from Washington about plans to reduce the American contingent in Poland.
The spokesman stated on Wednesday that Poland has not received any information regarding a possible reduction of the US military presence on its territory.
He reminded that this issue was discussed, among others, between Polish President Karol Nawrocki and US President Donald Trump.
US military presence in Europe
It is worth noting that at the beginning of the year, US President Donald Trump announced that he wanted to reduce the American military contingent in Europe by 20%.
In the spring, it became known that Europeans feared they would not be notified in advance and would learn from the media that thousands of American soldiers were being withdrawn from the continent.
