WASHINGTON — The Republican chairmen of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees criticized the Pentagon’s Wednesday decision to remove hundreds of U.S. troops from Romania, a country that shares a border with Ukraine. They argued that the move contradicts the White House’s ongoing pressure campaign on Russia.
“This decision sends the wrong signal to Russia at the very moment President Trump is applying pressure to force Vladimir Putin to come to the table to achieve a lasting peace in Ukraine,” said Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) in a joint statement.
“The President has it exactly right: now is the time for America to demonstrate our resolve against Russian aggression. Unfortunately, the Pentagon’s decision appears uncoordinated and directly at odds with the President’s strategy,” they added.
This troop pullout would not be the first time the Pentagon has taken unilateral action that contradicts Trump’s approach to ending the war in Ukraine. U.S. defense officials have previously attempted to halt weapons shipments to Ukraine, only to be reversed once the president became aware of these moves.
The Republican rebuke followed the Department of Defense’s announcement that it would not replace the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team of the 101st Airborne Division when the unit rotates back to their Kentucky home base as scheduled. While the Pentagon has not specified how many troops will be affected, the Romanian Defense Ministry stated that Bucharest expects between 700 and 800 U.S. forces to leave the country, with approximately 900 to 1,000 remaining.
The Pentagon denied that this decision would “change the security environment in Europe,” arguing that the troop reduction was appropriate because NATO allies could now take on the responsibilities previously held by U.S. troops. This, they said, was a direct result of “President Trump’s call for NATO members to take primary responsibility for the conventional defense of Europe.”
“This is not an American withdrawal from Europe or a signal of lessened commitment to NATO and Article 5,” stated U.S. Army Europe and Africa Command (USAREUR-AF) in a press release. “Rather, this is a positive sign of increased European capability and responsibility.”
While Rogers and Wicker acknowledged that “thanks to President Trump’s leadership, our European allies have agreed to shoulder historic levels of the burden of collective defense,” they cautioned that drawing down the U.S. presence too soon could reverse the president’s progress.
“European rearmament will take time,” they said. “Pulling back U.S. forces from NATO’s Eastern flank prematurely, and just weeks after Russian drones violated Romanian airspace, undermines deterrence and risks inviting further Russian aggression.”
Additionally, the Pentagon’s decision was made without prior consultation with Congress, which Rogers and Wicker called especially concerning. They highlighted “the clear bipartisan and bicameral support for a robust U.S. posture in Europe,” as expressed in both the House and Senate versions of the FY26 National Defense Authorization Act.
“The legislation also makes clear the Congressional intent that no modifications be made to the U.S. posture in Europe absent a thorough review process,” they emphasized.
The Department of Defense is currently conducting a force posture review, examining the U.S. military presence in Europe, estimated to range between 80,000 and 100,000 troops, as well as forces deployed around the globe. Although officials have indicated that reducing U.S. forces in Europe is under consideration, the findings of this review are not expected to be announced before early next year.
https://nypost.com/2025/10/29/world-news/pentagon-move-to-pull-troops-from-romania-directly-at-odds-with-trump-strategy-gop-lawmakers/