US to Rotate Out Brigade from Romania,Signaling Potential Shift in Eastern Europe Deployment
Bucharest – The United states will rotate a US brigade stationed at Mihai Kogalniceanu airbase in Romania out and will not replace it,Romanian Defense minister Ionut Mosteanu announced Wednesday.This brigade has “elements” deployed in Bulgaria, Romania, slovakia, and hungary, though it remains unclear if troops will be withdrawn from those countries as well.
The move comes as US President Donald Trump has consistently advocated for a greater focus on the Indo-Pacific region and increased defense responsibility from European NATO members.
Despite the rotation, Mosteanu confirmed the US military presence at Romania’s deveselu and Campia Turzii bases will remain unchanged.
Polish Defence Minister Wladyslaw kosiniak-Kamysz stated Wednesday that Warsaw has “no information” regarding a potential reduction of US troops in Poland. The Pentagon has been approached for comment by the BBC.
A NATO official emphasized that Washington’s commitment to the alliance remains “clear” and adjustments to troop deployments are “not unusual.” The official noted that, “Even with this adjustment, the US force posture in Europe remains larger than it has been for many years, with many more US forces on the continent than before 2022.”
More than 100,000 US military personnel are currently deployed in Europe, according to figures from late last year.
The declaration follows a series of airspace violations by Russia.Last month, NATO launched “Eastern Sentry,” a mission designed to bolster vigilance along its eastern flank, after a dozen Russian drones entered Polish airspace - the moast significant such incident since the war in Ukraine began in February 2022. Romania subsequently reported a Russian drone breach of its airspace, and estonia reported violations by Russian warplanes.
