Announcements of US troop withdrawals from Central and Eastern European countries show the need to increase defense spending, a European Commission spokesperson said today at a press conference in response to questions, BTA reported.
According to him, such a decision once again highlights the need for determination to take action to protect European security. We have always relied on the US as a strong partner in supporting our efforts, the spokesperson added.
According to various publications, the US has notified allies of an upcoming reduction in the US military presence in Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary and Slovakia since mid-December. According to the specialized publication "Stars and Stripes", quoted by the Romanian news site News.ro, about 3,000 US soldiers will be withdrawn from the four European countries mentioned.
Representatives of the administration of US President Donald Trump have informed the allies that the reduction of the US military presence in Romania is only the first stage, and that cuts will also follow in Bulgaria, Hungary and Slovakia from mid-December, reports the "Kyiv Post" newspaper, which informed about the withdrawal of US soldiers from Romania. According to the specialized publication “Stars and Stripes“, quoted by the Romanian news site News.ro, about 3,000 military personnel will be withdrawn from Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary and Slovakia.
The Trump administration is testing transatlantic patience again, discreetly warning several European capitals about its upcoming plan to reduce US troops in Eastern Europe next month - a move that is already drawing criticism in the US Congress and raising new questions about Washington's long-term commitment to NATO's eastern flank, commented “Kiev Post“, quoted by the Romanian TV station Digi 24, BTA reports.
As outrage grows over the planned withdrawal of a US rotational brigade from Romania, several sources have told the “Kiev Post“ that this change is only the first step. Administration officials have told allies that the cuts in Romania are just the first phase, with further cuts in Bulgaria, Hungary and Slovakia to follow as early as mid-December - a timetable that has raised questions among NATO diplomats concerned about what the decision means for deterrence capabilities on the alliance's most vulnerable border, the newspaper said.