NATO Chief, Mark Rutte has downplayed fears about US troops reduction in Romania.
Rutte told reporters during a press conference alongside Romanian President Nicușor Dan, that adjustments to US force posture are “not unusual.” Rutte met with President Nicușor Dan at Cotroecni Palace in Bucharest.
“And even with this adjustment, the US force posturing in Europe remains larger than has been for many years. There are still many more US forces on the continent than before 2022. I really think we are making a little bit too much out of this [decision].”
Mark Rutte
The US announced last week that it would withdraw a rotating brigade currently stationed in the country and not replace it, insisting in a statement that this is “a positive sign of increased European capability and responsibility.”
They also said that they continue to maintain a “robust presence” across Europe and therefore the ability to meet their NATO commitments. The US has between 80,000 and 100,000 troops deployed across Europe at any given time, depending on operations and exercises.
The NATO Chief added that it was all about the US “always looking at how they can make the best use of their resources they have in Europe,” urging Romania not to “read too much into that.”
He told the reporters that Washington remains committed to the defence of the eastern flank and that the alliance as a whole has the plans in place to defend frontline countries.
He also pointed to NATO’s new initiatives on the Eastern flank, including the new Eastern Sentry mission, as reasons to be reassured.
He also said this month’s Dacian Fall exercise in Romania and Bulgaria in which some 5,000 troops from 10 NATO countries will take part shows that “we are able, whenever necessary, to immediately get all the troops in Romania needed to bring the forward land forces to the level where they can help to defend Romania.”
The Romanian President, Nicușor Dan also said that he has “no concern” over the withdrawal of US troops from the country.
He pointed to the Eastern Sent program, a military operation involving a flexible mission that NATO is launching to strengthen the eastern flank.
Dan stated that the Eastern Sentry operation and “the military exercise that is being conducted now is proof that we are coordinating for large movements of military troops.”
Rutte Asserts NATO’s Resolve To Protect Its Territory
Moreover, Rutte said at the press conference that there should be no doubt of “NATO’s resolve to protect the alliance,” and to “defend every inch of allied territory.”
“If an attack would take place from whoever, be it the Russians or whoever, would attack NATO or would attack Romania particularly, it is not only Eastern Sentry which will help you; not only the Forward Land Forces which will help you – it is then the whole of NATO which will come to the rescue, with its fleet of F-35, its full naval capacity and its full land forces capacity.”
Mark Rutte
He emphasized that NATO is “always” ready to defend, stating that if Romania is attacked, there are 31 other nations that will come to the country’s rescue because “that’s how NATO works and that makes us unbeatable.”
While in Romania, Rutte will also participate in the NATO-Industry Forum, where he will speak on the importance of increased defence production and the value of closer ties with industry. He will also engage with students at the University of Bucharest.
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