US ends eastern NATO brigade rotation as Indo-Pacific shift grows

The United States has told Romania and other NATO allies it will reduce some troop rotations on the alliance's eastern flank, Romania's defence ministry said Wednesday, part of a broader U.S. shift in military priorities toward the Indo-Pacific. The announcement ends the rotation of a brigade with elements stationed in Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia and Hungary, the ministry said, and leaves roughly 1,000 U.S. soldiers deployed in Romania to continue deterrence and regional cooperation.

Romanian Defence Minister Ionuț Moșteanu told reporters the change "is not a withdrawal" and described it as the cessation of a rotational brigade rather than the removal of fixed capabilities. He said strategic assets in the country remain unchanged, noting that the Deveselu missile defence site is fully operational, Campia Turzii continues to be a key point for air operations, and an air combat group will remain at the Mihail Kogălniceanu air base. The ministry said the adjustment reflected new priorities announced by the U.S. administration and the fact that NATO has consolidated its presence on the eastern flank, enabling the United States to recalibrate its posture.