The US has confirmed that it will reduce its troop presence on NATO’s borders with Ukraine.
The US armed forces confirmed the move, but denied that it was a sign of lessened commitment to NATO. Analysts say that it might tempt Russia to test the military alliance as allies worry about a security gap being created at a time when Russia is increasingly confrontational.
In a statement, US Army Europe and Africa said that the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team of the 101st Airborne Division will return to its base in Kentucky as previously planned but that no other US troops would rotate into Europe to replace it.
It asserted that this is “not an American withdrawal from Europe or a signal of lessened commitment to NATO and Article 5,” in a reference to the collective security guarantee in the organization’s treaty that an attack on one ally should be considered an attack on all 32.
“Rather this is a positive sign of increased European capability and responsibility. Our NATO allies are meeting President Trump’s call to take primary responsibility for the conventional defense of Europe.”
US Army Europe and Africa
It insisted that the move “will not change the security environment in Europe.” Depending on operations and exercises, around 80,000-100,000 US troops are usually present on European soil.
NATO allies have expressed concern that the Trump administration might drastically cut their numbers and leave a security vacuum as European countries confront an increasingly aggressive Russia.
The administration has been reviewing its military “posture” in Europe and elsewhere, but US officials have said that the findings of the review were not expected to be known before early next year.
NATO has recently been bulking up its defensive posture on its eastern flank bordering Belarus, Russia and Ukraine after a series of airspace violations by drones, balloons and Russian aircraft.
Romania’s Defense Minister, Ionut Mosteanu said that the decision reflects Washington’s shift “toward the Indo-Pacific” region. However, Mosteanu said that allied troop numbers would remain above the number before Russia’s full-scale invasion of neighboring Ukraine in 2022. “Our strategic partnership is solid, predictable, and reliable,” Mosteanu said in a news conference.
The Romanian defense ministry said that the US decision will “stop the rotation in Europe of a brigade that had elements in several NATO countries,” including at a base in Romania.
It said in a statement that about 1,000 US troops will remain stationed in Romania. As of April, more than 1,700 US military personnel were estimated to be deployed there. A brigade usually numbers anywhere from 1,500 to 3,000 troops.
In a post on X, US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker stressed that the US “remains committed to Romania.” “Our strong presence in and enduring commitment to Europe remains steadfast, including support for Eastern Sentry,” a NATO operation along the eastern flank, he wrote, making no mention of the troop drawdown.
NATO’s Eastern Flank Presence Considered By US
The Romanian statement said that the US “decision also took into account the fact that NATO has strengthened its presence and activity on the Eastern Flank, which allows the United States to adjust its military posture in the region.”
After the war started in 2022, NATO bolstered its presence on Europe’s eastern flank by sending additional multinational battle groups to Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria and Slovakia. Many more European troops are now stationed there.
Giuseppe Spatafora, Research Analyst at the EU Institute for Security Studies, said that while the full extent of the American withdrawal is not yet known, “we do know the direction of travel: fewer US troops and assets, and an expectation that Europeans will fill the gap.”
Meanwhile, Government officials in Poland and Lithuania, which lie further north along Europe’s eastern flank, said that they had not been informed of any US troop drawdown in their countries.
READ ALSO: Starmer Fails To Commit To Pledge Not To Raise Taxes
