Roughly 1,000 American soldiers will remain in Romania, the ministry said, emphasizing that they will continue to “contribute to deterrence of any threats and represent a guarantee of the U.S. commitment to regional security.”
This marks the first official acknowledgment from a NATO ally that Washington is scaling back forces on the continent. The move follows a shift in Washington’s strategic priorities announced in February by Donald Trump’s administration, which has been reviewing deployments in Europe amid calls to redirect resources toward the Indo-Pacific.
“Adjustments to force posture are not unusual. Even with this adjustment, the U.S. force posture in Europe remains larger than it has been for many years,” said a U.S. official. “There are still many more U.S. forces on the continent than before 2022.”
The official added: “U.S. commitment to NATO is clear. President Trump and his administration have reiterated this time and again. NATO has robust defense plans in place and we are working to ensure we maintain the right forces and capabilities in place to deter and defend each other.”
The Mihail Kogălniceanu base has served as a key transit point for U.S. and allied troops reinforcing the alliance’s eastern defenses. At the height of the buildup, several thousand U.S. soldiers rotated through Romania and Poland as part of NATO’s deterrence mission.
This article has been updated with U.S. comment.