President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended the U.S. decision to withdraw some troops from Romania, while emphasizing that the threat to NATO’s eastern flank remains, especially in light of Bucharest’s calls for withdrawal.
At a White House meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Trump was questioned about the Pentagon’s troop reduction in Romania, which came shortly after he asserted that U.S. troops would remain in Europe.
“We make changes. We move the same number, total number, but we move people around. I have a fondness for Romanians; I think they’re great people,” Trump stated.
Hegseth mentioned that the decision was made in collaboration with the White House. “It’s part of the outlook we have towards Europe. Although troops will still be in Romania, there will be changes in how we rotate them and their numbers,” he said, noting that NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and U.S. European Command were briefed ahead of time.
Recently, the U.S. announced a reduction of about 800 infantry brigades, affecting Romania, Slovakia, Hungary, and Bulgaria. Nevertheless, 1,000 U.S. troops will continue to be stationed in Romania.
This decision immediately drew criticism from Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi) and House Armed Services Committee Chairman Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Alabama), who claimed it was not coordinated with Congress or NATO.
Romania’s Secretary of State for Defense, Sorin Moldovan, expressed on Thursday that the U.S. should reconsider the decision, stating it “does not bode well” for relations between the U.S. and Romania.
“We believe this decision can be reversed…and should be reversed,” Moldovan told Politico Europe.
He added, “We need to strengthen talks with the U.S. to ensure the current administration recognizes that the threat is here in the east,” reflecting ongoing concerns about regional stability as the war in Ukraine continues into its fourth year. NATO countries are also dealing with recent airspace violations by Russia.
During a visit to Bucharest, Rutte downplayed the troop reduction, suggesting that it was a “constant” adjustment. He reassured that NATO could scale up its presence collectively, including in Romania, whenever necessary.
Moldovan’s deputy defense minister concurred, but remarked that the decision might inadvertently support Russian “propaganda” suggesting a lack of unity within NATO.
“At the operational level, nothing has changed since the withdrawal,” the Moldovan president stated Thursday. “But… it’s a bit odd that there’s political symbolism now,” he added.
The topic of notifying Congress about the troop withdrawal was raised in front of the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday, where several Republican senators reported that they had not been briefed prior to media coverage of the decision.
“I think it would be beneficial for all of us to have more information about how these decisions were made,” remarked Sen. Rick Scott (R-Florida).
