Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte has sought to ease concerns over the recent withdrawal of a United States infantry brigade from Romania, saying that the Alliance remains fully committed to its eastern members. Speaking in Bucharest on November 5, Rutte said Nato could “always scale up collectively, including in Romania,” if security conditions required it, according to Politico.

The withdrawal involves around 700 US troops from the Black Sea airbase at Mihail Kogălniceanu, who are returning to their home base in Kentucky. The move, announced last week by Washington, prompted questions over the United States’ long-term military posture in Eastern Europe, particularly as Russia’s war against Ukraine continues.

“This happens all the time … please don’t read too much into that,” Rutte told Politico during a press conference in Bucharest.

“And even with this adjustment, the US force posturing in Europe remains larger than has been for many years. There are still many more US forces on the continent than before 2022,” he added, according to Euronews.

Rutte said he believed “too much” had been made of the troop redeployment, noting that Nato’s deterrence posture remained strong and that the Alliance was capable of reinforcing the region quickly if necessary.

Rutte’s remarks were aimed at reassuring Romania and other eastern allies that the Alliance’s defence commitments remain firm despite Washington’s recent force adjustment.

The Nato chief was in Bucharest for a two-day visit, his first to Romania since assuming office last year. His trip coincided with the Nato Defence Industry Forum, hosted in the Romanian capital, which gathered more than 800 participants from 26 Nato and partner countries, along with representatives from over 300 defence companies.

Meanwhile, both Republican and Democratic lawmakers criticised the Pentagon on November 4 for failing to properly brief Congress on national security issues, expressing rare bipartisan frustration with the Trump administration, Reuters reported. Particular scrutiny was directed at the Pentagon’s decision to reduce the number of American troops stationed in Eastern Europe, specifically Romania. 

Former United States special representative for Ukraine negotiations Kurt Volker told Euronews that the move sent “not the message the US needs to be sending to Putin right now”. He added: “I don’t think the White House would have wanted this; it’s just not coordinated very well.”