Romanian Defense Minister Sorin Moldovan believes that the United States should abandon its plan to withdraw hundreds of troops from the country. He argues that this decision could fuel Russian propaganda about NATO's disunity, writes UNN with reference to Politico.
Details
"I believe this decision can be reversed and should be reversed."
Last week, the Pentagon announced that it would redeploy an infantry brigade of about 800 troops back to Kentucky from Romania, as the US military reorients its focus to domestic priorities such as border protection and the Indo-Pacific region.
"I understand the current administration's plans - they want to review their position in Europe,"
"But this is not a good sign in our bilateral relations. We need to have more active bilateral talks with the US so that the current administration understands that the threat is here, on the eastern flank,"
Politico writes that the troop withdrawal comes at a delicate time for NATO, which is trying to close gaps in its air defense systems and is dealing with an escalation of suspected airspace incursions by Russia, particularly in Romania.
Publicly, European and NATO officials downplayed the troop reduction, even as US lawmakers expressed dissatisfaction with the move.
On Wednesday, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and Romanian President Nicușor Dan stated that the US decision would not create gaps in the country's defense. Other allies, such as the UK and Norway, also dismissed suggestions that the move showed Washington was no longer committed to NATO.
"Operationally, nothing has changed since the withdrawal,"
"But the political symbolism is a bit strange now," he added, arguing that it risks fueling Russian "propaganda" about a lack of unity in NATO.
And while Washington seeks to pivot to Asia, he argued that it must consider how globalized Moscow's total war in Ukraine has become. Russia is increasingly benefiting from the support of China, Iran, and North Korea in its military efforts.
"We are not just talking about Russia... keep in mind that North Korea has sent troops to Ukraine... Iran has also helped Russia with its capabilities. We need to see the bigger picture,"
"Our security is also built on trust in our allies, and we rely heavily on US support on the eastern flank. NATO is only stronger when all allies are present there,"
Addition
Romania stated that the US intends to withdraw some of its troops from NATO's eastern flank, to which a NATO representative responded that the Alliance is closely cooperating with the US on the composition of forces in Europe.