U.S. Halts Rotations, Cuts Romania Troops

Romania and other NATO allies were informed that the United States will reduce some troops on NATO’s eastern flank by halting rotations of a brigade and leaving roughly 900–1,000 U.S. soldiers in Romania, down from about 1,700 earlier. Affected units had rotated through the Mihail Kogălniceanu base and included elements with footprints in Bulgaria, Slovakia and Hungary. NATO said it had been notified and called the move an adjustment, while the Pentagon and U.S. European Command have not publicly detailed the scope or timing of reductions. Romanian ministers emphasized this marks an end to rotations rather than a full withdrawal and said strategic capabilities and U.S. presences at Deveselu and Câmpia Turzii will remain unchanged. The announcement — the first public confirmation from a NATO ally that Washington is scaling back forces in Europe — has raised concern among eastern members amid Russia’s war in Ukraine, and some reporting has flagged the possibility of a larger drawdown from 2022 surge levels.