Representatives of US President Donald Trump's administration have informed allies that the reduction of the US military presence in Romania is only the first stage, and will be followed by cuts in Bulgaria, Hungary and Slovakia from mid-December, reports the “Kyiv Post“, which reported on the withdrawal of US troops from Romania. According to the specialized publication “Stars and Stripes“, quoted by the Romanian news site News.ro, about 3,000 military personnel will be withdrawn from Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary and Slovakia, BTA reported.
The Trump administration is testing transatlantic patience again, discreetly warning several European capitals about its upcoming plan to reduce US troops in Eastern Europe next month – a move that has already drawn criticism in the US Congress and raised new questions about Washington's long-term commitment to NATO's eastern flank, commented the “Kiev Post“, quoted by the Romanian TV station Digi 24.
As outrage grows over the planned withdrawal of a US rotational brigade from Romania, several sources have told the “Kiev Post“ that the change is just the first step. Administration officials have told allies that the cuts in Romania are just the first phase, with further cuts in Bulgaria, Hungary and Slovakia to follow as early as mid-December – a timetable that raises questions among NATO diplomats concerned about what the decision means for the deterrence capabilities of the alliance's most vulnerable border, the newspaper said.
Two Western officials familiar with discussions between the United States and its European partners said the Pentagon was considering a modest reduction in forces, in part because European ground forces are now considered better prepared than in previous years, making a limited redeployment of the American presence "appropriate."
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said allies had been told to expect a "likely" of further adjustments next year as current rotational deployments end. A US diplomatic document described the planned cuts in Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary and Slovakia as "minor", the Kyiv Post reported.
To reassure concerned allies, administration officials stressed that the number of US troops in Poland and the Baltic states - the alliance's strongest positions on its eastern flank - would remain unchanged. They stressed the "stable nature" of the defense spending in these countries and their close cooperation with American forces, stressing that Washington's commitment to NATO remains unwavering.
The announcements of a reduction in the American military presence (after the initial news about Romania) have drawn criticism in Congress from both Democrats and Republicans, with both parties warning that this step risks emboldening Moscow and undermining the unity of the alliance, Digi 24 reports, citing the “Kiev Post“.
Yesterday, Congressman Mike Turner (Republican of Ohio), who heads the American delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, expressed his “deep concern“ on troop reductions in a country on NATO's front lines.
“As head of the US delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, I am concerned about reports of US troop reductions in Romania“, Turner wrote on social media. He stressed the need for a “strong and firm“ American presence in Europe, especially given Russia's continued aggressive posture.
On the Democratic side, Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire), who is a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, expressed an equally strong assessment. She called the cuts “a deeply misguided move that undermines U.S. efforts to pressure Putin to finally sit down at the negotiating table and strengthen the ability of our European partners to defend themselves.”
Diplomat Daniel Fried, a former assistant secretary of state and one of the architects of U.S. policy in Eastern Europe after the Cold War, told the Kyiv Post that the new policy reflected bureaucratic maneuvering rather than a coherent strategy.
“There is a debate in the Trump administration about global force deployment“, Fried explained. According to him, however, the reduction of the military is “a mistake“.
Daniel Fried emphasized that any visible reduction of the American presence in Europe “sends the wrong signal to Putin“ at a time when Russia continues its aggression against Ukraine and NATO, writes “Kyiv Post“.
However, Fried noted that the announced reduction is limited and largely symbolic. “The numbers are so small that they will not change the military balance“, he added, but stressed that “the signal is negative“.