Overview
- Trump said forces are being moved rather than removed, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the decision was coordinated with NATO, U.S. European Command and allied capitals.
- About 800 infantry brigade troops are being reduced across Romania, Slovakia, Hungary and Bulgaria, with roughly 1,000 U.S. soldiers remaining in Romania.
- Romanian deputy defense minister Sorin Moldovan urged Washington to overturn the move, warning that the optics could undercut unity and feed Russian propaganda.
- Leaders of the Senate and House Armed Services Committees complained they were not properly briefed and lawmakers requested details on how the decision was made.
- NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte downplayed the shift as routine and said the alliance can scale up in Romania, and NATO noted the U.S. military presence in Europe remains larger than in recent years.