NATO chief Mark Rutte on Wednesday sought to downplay concerns over the partial withdrawal of US troops in Romania during a visit to the country, insisting that Washington remains committed to protecting the alliance's eastern flank.
"Adjustments in the position of US forces are not unusual," Rutte told reporters during a press conference alongside Romanian President Nicușor Dan.
"And even with this adjustment, the positioning of US forces in Europe remains larger than it has been for many years. There are still many more US forces on the continent than before 2022," he added.
"I really think we are overdoing it a bit" with the withdrawal, Rutte said, foreign media wrote, according to the Telegraph.
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 they continue to maintain a "strong presence" across Europe and therefore the ability to fulfill their commitments to NATO.
As the media points out, 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 sought to deliver a similarly reassuring statement on Wednesday, telling reporters that Washington remains committed to defending the eastern flank and that the alliance as a whole has plans in place to protect frontline locations.
This includes "Eastern Sentry," NATO's operation launched in mid-September in response to drone incursions into several member states, as well as "plans in place to ensure we protect every inch of allied territory."
He also said that this month's "Dacian Fall" exercise in Romania and Bulgaria, which will involve about 5,000 troops from 10 NATO countries, shows that "we are able, whenever necessary, to immediately provide all the troops to Romania needed to bring forward ground forces to the level where they can help defend Romania."
The Romanian president also said he has "no concerns" about the withdrawal of US troops from the country.
Operation Eastern Sentry and "the military exercise that is taking place now is proof that we are coordinating for large troop movements," Dan said. /Telegraph/
