Rutte on the withdrawal of US troops from Romania: We are exaggerating the reaction, this has happened before

NATO believes that the reaction to the withdrawal of some US troops from Romania is "a bit exaggerated." This was stated by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at a press conference in Bucharest together with Romanian President Nicușor Dan.

"Changes in the situation with the NATO contingent are not unique. This has happened in other years as well. The presence of American troops in Europe remains more significant than at any time in many years. I do think we are overreacting a little bit," Rutte said .

According to him, the number of American forces on the continent is still much higher than it will be by 2022. And US President Donald Trump supports NATO and joint efforts.

"We are increasing the number of brigades, adding ground and air forces, and using innovative tactics, including maritime drones," Rutte summarized .

The Romanian president noted that NATO's Eastern Sentry program, which aims to strengthen member states' air defense against threats from Russia, means increasing military capabilities and the number of troops, if necessary. In particular, in the Cincu exercise, 5,000 Allied soldiers practiced rapid response skills.

• on April 8, NBC wrote that Pentagon officials are considering a proposal to withdraw up to 10,000 US troops from Eastern Europe.
• On October 29, the Romanian Defense Ministry confirmed the reduction of US troops in Europe, namely at the Mihail Kogelniceanu military base.
• The US Army Europe Command said that the withdrawal of troops would not change the security situation in the EU.
• And the US Senate criticized Trump's decision, calling it the wrong signal to Russia.