Romania's defence ministry has announced that the United States intends to reduce some of its troops stationed on NATO's eastern flank.
Between 900 and 1,000 American troops will remain in Romania, down from the previous 1,700.
The ministry described the decision as anticipated and attributed the reduction of US forces to the new priorities set by the Trump administration.
Defence Minister Ionut Mosteanu stated that his US counterpart, Pete Hegseth, communicated a need for European nations to enhance their own defense capabilities as the US reallocates attention towards the Indo-Pacific region.
Moreover, a US brigade stationed at Mihai Kogalniceanu airbase—a key location expected to become NATO's largest in Europe—will be rotated out without being replaced, Mosteanu confirmed.
This brigade has components operating in Bulgaria, Romania, Slovakia, and Hungary, though it remains uncertain whether US troops will be withdrawn from these additional nations.
Poland's Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz indicated that Warsaw has not received any information regarding a potential reduction of US troops on Polish territory.
The Pentagon has been approached by the BBC for comments regarding this development.
Mosteanu added that the presence of US troops at Romania's Deveselu and Campia Turzii bases will remain unchanged.
Since taking office, US President Donald Trump has sought to shift military commitment focus from Europe to the Indo-Pacific, consistently urging European NATO members to take greater responsibility for their defense.
This announcement has raised alarms among Eastern European nations, many of which are apprehensive about potential Russian aggression in the future.
Following Bucharest's announcement, a NATO official reiterated that Washington's commitment to the alliance remains 'clear' and pointed out that troop adjustments are 'not unusual'.
Even with this adjustment, US military presence in Europe remains historically significant, with troop levels higher than those prior to 2022.
The US has over 100,000 military personnel stationed in Europe according to last year's figures.
Just last month, NATO revealed the initiation of a mission called 'Eastern Sentry' aimed at improving alliance vigilance along the eastern flank.
This decision followed a series of incidents involving Russian drones entering Polish airspace—a notable escalation since the war's onset in February 2022. Romania also reported a breach of its airspace by a Russian drone, as Estonia reported violations by Russian military aircraft.
