The American daily Wall Street Journal criticizes the Trump administration’s decision to withdraw a combat brigade from Romania, labeling it as a bad message for Putin.
It is certain that most Americans will not notice if the US withdraws a military brigade from Romania, but you can be sure that Vladimir Putin will. Behind a reorganization of American forces abroad lies a broader debate within the Trump administration about America’s position in the world, and high-ranking Republicans in Congress express their concerns, as stated in an opinion article signed by the WSJ editorial board.
Withdrawal without replacement
The US military confirmed last week that soldiers from a combat team of the 101st Airborne Division brigade will return to Kentucky without being replaced.
The Romanian Ministry of Defense called the decision "an effect of the new priorities of the presidential administration", the American newspaper notes, pointing out that approximately 1,000 soldiers will remain in Romania, and the US presence in our country represents a small part of the approximately 85,000 soldiers on the continent.
However, the US is reducing its combat power on the eastern front of NATO just as Putin's army intensifies drone incursions and other types of tests against the Western alliance and refuses to end its war in Ukraine.
The decision has drawn criticism from Republicans in Congress, who generally support the president and are not known for choosing unnecessary confrontations.
What America actually needs to do
The withdrawal of American troops from Romania "sends the wrong signal" to Putin, stated in a release by Republican Senator Roger Wicker and Representative Mike Rogers, chairmen of the Defense Committees in the Senate and House of Representatives. Romania, the congressmen noted, is a reliable ally that has hosted an American missile defense detachment since 2016.
The two congressional leaders seek assurances that the Trump administration intends to maintain two armored brigades in Poland.
Perhaps Trump is unaware, but some of his advisors at the Pentagon desire an even larger withdrawal from Europe. This would complicate President Trump's negotiation of a lasting peace in Ukraine.
What America needs is for more forces in Europe to move eastward, towards the Baltic countries, not westward, towards the US, emphasizes WSJ.
"Rogers and Wicker provide the president with sound advice that now is not the time to hesitate in terms of deterrence in Europe," concludes the newspaper's editorial board.
T.D.