Head of Romanian diplomacy, announcement after the partial withdrawal of US troops: By the end of the year and in 2026, we will see a strengthened NATO presence in the country

NATO allies, other than the United States, will send new troops and equipment to Romania in the coming months, announced Romanian Foreign Minister Oana Țoiu, in an interview published on Thursday by Europa Liberă, after Washington decided to withdraw part of its military stationed on the territory of our country.

The head of Romanian diplomacy also claims that the Trump administration's decision not to continue the rotational deployment of almost a thousand soldiers in Romania will not make the strategic partnership between Bucharest and Washington vulnerable.

“We are discussing together with the United States of America, but also in a NATO ally format, the ways in which we further increase the defensive capacity, as well as deterrence. Our main focus now is also in the area of air defense. (…) By the end of the year and next year, we will see a strengthened NATO presence in Romania, and especially a strengthened NATO presence in terms of the ability to intervene in the event that Romania is under direct risk,” said Oana Țoiu, in interview, without giving details about the new allied troops that will arrive in our country.

“What is very clear at this moment and reconfirmed by American officials in each of the formats that we have had, whether bilateral conversations or the NATO format, is that this partnership is at a moment of trust, it is not shaky, it is not vulnerable, it is a partnership of mutual trust, with common goals for the future,” she added.

Explanation for the public communication regarding the withdrawal of US troops

The Foreign Minister explained that the American and Romanian authorities agreed to jointly announce the partial withdrawal of the US military presence in Romania, but the publication of the news by a website in Ukraine diverted the agreed plan.

“The reality is that no country can communicate decisions on behalf of another country. Moreover, in our bilateral history (Romanian-American, ed.) the strategic partnership was built on trust and we want to continue it that way, which means that we will not be able to communicate their decisions instead of the United States of America,” said the head of Romanian diplomacy.

She specified that, in Romania, US military forces remain present in three military bases, Deveselu, Câmpia Turzii and Mihail Kogălniceanu, and discussions regarding national defense with overseas partners will continue.

Other clarifications made by Țoiu:

About the future maritime security hub of the European Union in the Black Sea: “We presented this project not only to the foreign ministers of the European Union, but also to the foreign minister of Turkey, because the collaboration between the European Union and Turkey is very important. (…) I will go to Ankara next week, and part of the agenda is also the security hub at the Maritimes, on the Black Sea.”

About Romania's support for Ukraine: “Our security is also ensured by the Ukrainian troops fighting in Ukraine. It is much easier for Romania and for the countries on the eastern flank, but also in the European Union, to support the defense of Ukraine, whether we are talking about armaments, whether we are talking about humanitarian efforts in terms of the families who have arrived on our territory or joint efforts to impose sanctions on Russia, than it would ever be to be subjected to the same risk that Ukraine now has.”

Criticism of the PSD

In the same interview, Oana Țoiu criticized PSD's reaction after the US announcement, as well as the accusations brought to Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan by Sorin Grindeanu, the interim leader of the Social Democrats.

Grindeanu said that “it is unacceptable” for the population of Romania to learn about the Trump administration's decision to reduce the number of soldiers from the foreign media and accused Bolojan of not giving explanations.

“Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan is a prime minister who has the trust of our partners and I think it is risky and irresponsible that certain politicians are trying to attack the prime minister by using the names of other countries and making the partnership we have vulnerable in the public discourse”, Țoiu reacted.

“I think that the PSD and, for that matter, any mature party must ask themselves the question and decide whether they still want to be in the governing coalition or in the opposition,” the head of Romanian diplomacy also affirmed.

On Thursday, Grindeanu continued the attacks and stated, after the PSD called the Prime Minister in Parliament on Monday, during “Prime Minister's Hour”, on the topic of the withdrawal of US troops from Romania, that he is waiting to explain to the Romanians why we ended up in this situation.

“I'm waiting for him to come to the Parliament to explain to the Romanians why we ended up in this situation, to come and say, gentlemen, forget, unlike Poland, for example, we have things like this, so and so and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, who from what I saw about three weeks ago, had a meeting in Washington, from where we, the Romanians, received assurances that everything is fine, look, even after a month, not even a month, it seems that's not the case”, said the leader PSD, in a press conference in Târgu Jiu.

“I also expect a concrete plan, beyond what happened and explanations. I expect that in Parliament, when it comes, a concrete plan will be presented on how to strengthen Romania's security, considering what happened or what was announced by our strategic partner. That interests me, to see the causes and to see that concrete plan,” Grindeanu said.

PSD called on Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan in Parliament on Monday, November 3, during “Prime Minister's Hour”. The request was approved on Thursday by the leadership of the Chamber of Deputies, with the vote of PSD and AUR. The reason is related to the Government's reaction to the US decision to withdraw part of the military from Romania, according to the document submitted by the Social Democrats. Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan has not yet decided whether he will comply with PSD's request to give explanations in Parliament. “A decision has not been made yet. The decision will probably be made today,” Government sources told HotNews.

MApN and Pentagon announcement

On Wednesday morning, the Ministry of National Defense (MApN) announced that Romania and NATO allied countries were informed of the United States' decision regarding the “resizing” of American troops in Europe. According to MApN, “approximately one thousand American soldiers will remain deployed” in Romania.

“The decision was expected, Romania being in permanent contact with the American strategic partner. The resizing of the US forces is an effect of the new priorities of the presidential administration, announced as early as February. The decision also took into account the fact that NATO has strengthened its presence and activity on the Eastern Flank, which allows the United States to adjust its military posture in the region”, MApN said.

The announcement came after the Ukrainian publication Kyiv Post wrote, citing American and European sources, that the Donald Trump Administration is about to withdraw “thousands of American soldiers” from Romania.

Now, there are approximately 2,000 United States soldiers in Romania, of which approximately 1,700 are at Mihail Kogălniceanu Base. At Deveselu, where the Aegis Ashore anti-missile shield is operating, there are currently about 200 American soldiers and over 100 at Turzii Plain, according to HotNews information.

Later, the Minister of Defense, Ionuț Moșteanu, held a press conference in which he said that “we are not talking about a withdrawal of American forces, but about stopping the rotation of a brigade that had elements in several NATO states: Hungary, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Romania”.

The Pentagon (American Department of Defense or War Department) also conveyed that the reduction of the military presence in Romania “does not represent America's withdrawal from Europe”, adding that, on the contrary, it is a “positive sign of the increase in European capacity”.