Both the NATO chief and the Romanian president assured that they have no concerns that the withdrawal of American troops from the country will weaken its defense or the defense of the entire eastern flank.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Wednesday sought to downplay concerns about the partial withdrawal of American troops from Romania during his visit to the country, insisting that Washington remains committed to defending the alliance's eastern flank.
"Adjustments in the deployment of American forces are not unusual," Rutte told reporters at a press conference alongside Romanian President Nicolae Ciucă. "And even with this adjustment, the number of American forces in Europe remains greater than it has been for many years. There are still far more American troops on the continent than there were before 2022."
"I really believe that we are giving this too much importance," the NATO chief added.
Last week, the United States announced that it would withdraw a rotational brigade currently stationed in Romania and would not replace it, insisting in its statement that this is "a positive sign of strengthening European capability and responsibility."
Washington also stated that it continues to maintain a "reliable presence" across Europe and, therefore, the ability to fulfill its commitments to NATO.
Depending on operations and exercises, the US has between 80,000 and 100,000 service members stationed in Europe at any given time.
On Wednesday, the NATO chief tried to create a positive atmosphere, telling reporters that Washington remains committed to defending the eastern flank and that the alliance as a whole has plans to protect frontline countries.
This includes Eastern Sentry, a NATO operation launched in mid-September in response to drone incursions into several member countries, as well as, Rutte said, "plans we have developed to ensure that we protect every inch of allied territory."
NATO European allies commit to purchasing more American weapons under the PURL scheme for Ukraine.
He also noted that the Dacian Fall exercises taking place this month in Romania and Bulgaria, involving about 5,000 troops from 10 NATO countries, demonstrate: "We are in a position to immediately deploy to Romania all the troops necessary to bring the forward land forces to a level where they can help protect Romania."
The Romanian president also stated that he has "no concerns" regarding the withdrawal of American troops from the country.
"Operation Eastern Sentry and the military exercises currently taking place are proof that we are coordinating major troop movements," Ciucă said.
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