The United States on Wednesday said it would pull some troops out from NATO's eastern flank but denied the move amounted to an American withdrawal from Europe.
Romania's defence ministry said 900-1,000 US soldiers would remain in the country, down from the about 1,700 currently being deployed in the Black Sea nation.
During a visit to the EU and NATO member bordering war-torn Ukraine on Thursday, French Defence Minister Catherine Vautrin said that France remains committed "to the collective defence of the European continent".
The presence of 1,500 French troops in Romania was an expression of France's commitment, she said.
"The French Armed Forces are present in Romania, at the heart of the Eastern flank, in an international security context which is... very deteriorated," she said during a joint press conference with her Romanian counterpart Ionut Mosteanu.
"They embody our concrete commitment... for the security of Romania, for the security of Europe, and for the security of France and the French people," she said.
Vautrin added that France's commitment is "not temporary" but "long-term and based on trust... This message of stability is key for our Romanian friends as well as for the entire eastern flank".
Mosteanu said his country would acquire Mistral 3 surface-to-air missiles "under a contract to be signed by the end of this year" as part of the European Joint Acquisition Initiative led by France.
According to a spokesperson for Romania's defence ministry, the contract could be worth 660 million euros ($760 million) excluding VAT.
Since October 20, France has been participating in NATO's Dacian Fall military exercise in Romania.
The exercise "is a clear signal that we want to send together: Europe is ready," Vautrin said.
It is "further proof of the European allies' commitment to the security of Romania, the Black Sea and the eastern flank," said Mosteanu.
Romania says US will cut some troops in Europe
Bucharest (AFP) Oct 29, 2025 - Washington has told Romania and allies it will reduce some US troops deployed on NATO's eastern flank, the Romanian defence ministry said Wednesday, a move a NATO official swiftly downplayed to AFP.
The decision was not a "withdrawal," Romania's Defence Minister Ionut Mosteanu told journalists shortly after the statement was released.
It was the "cessation of the rotation of a brigade that had elements in several NATO countries, including Bulgaria, Romania, Slovakia and Hungary", he said.
The ministry statement said that 1,000 US soldiers would remain deployed in Romania.
They will help "to deter any threat" and represent "a guarantee of the United States' commitment to regional security", said Mosteanu.
A NATO official told AFP that the body had been informed by the administration of US President Donald Trump in advance and also played down its significance.
"Even with this adjustment, the US force posture in Europe remains larger than it has been for many years, with many more US forces on the continent than before 2022," the official said, adding Washington's commitment to the alliance remained "clear".
Mosteanu said strategic capabilities were "unchanged", specifying that "the missile-defence system at Deveselu remains fully operational.
"The Campia Turzii air base continues to be a key point for air operations and allied cooperation, the Mihail Kogalniceanu base continues to be developed, and the American flag will remain present at all three sites," he continued.
"An air-combat group will remain at the Kogzlniceanu airbase, as was the case before the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine," he added.
His ministry also said "the decision was expected" and was "the result of the new priorities of the (US) administration, announced in February".
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