New phase heralded Trump orders troop withdrawal on Nato's eastern flank
The US government has announced the withdrawal of some of its soldiers from Eastern Europe. Romania, where American units were previously stationed on the Black Sea coast, is also affected.
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- Washington is reducing its troop presence in Eastern Europe, including at the Romanian base Mikhail Kogălniceanu.
- The Romanian Ministry of Defense speaks of an expected step as part of a US realignment.
- The background to this is President Trump's new strategic line, which places greater obligations on NATO partners.
The USA is reducing its military presence in Europe - including in Romania, where several hundred American soldiers were previously stationed at the strategically important Mikhail Kogălniceanu airbase near Constanța. This was announced by the Romanian Ministry of Defense on Tuesday.
According to the statement, Bucharest had already been informed of the move in advance: "The Ministry of Defense has been informed of the reduction of part of the American troops on the eastern flank of NATO - as part of the global realignment of US forces."
The decision comes as part of the reorganization of the United States' global military presence, which President Donald Trump has been pushing for months. The US government had already announced in February that it would transfer more responsibility for the defense of Europe to European partners.
Withdrawal comes at a sensitive time
According to information from Bucharest, the decision was made "in the context of ongoing bilateral contacts" and was "not surprising". Washington points out that NATO allies have recently massively expanded their presence on the eastern flank - which makes it possible to adapt the American role.
The withdrawal comes at a sensitive time: as the British newspaper "The Times" reported back in August, several European countries are urging President Trump to station F-35 fighter jets in Romania as compensation in order to ensure security on the Black Sea coast and in Ukraine.
According to the report, NATO partners are also demanding guarantees for continued access to US satellites and reconnaissance data, which are crucial for Ukraine's defense.
While hopes for new arms deliveries are growing in Kiev, Europe is preparing for a long war of attrition - and will probably have to take on more responsibility in the future.
