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NATO and some of the United States’ allies in the transatlantic alliance have sought to ease concerns about the Trump administration’s decision to reduce the US military presence in Europe amid Russia’s ongoing attack on Ukraine and as it is accused of escalating hybrid warfare against NATO nations.

The Pentagon announced Thursday that it was reducing the number of US troops deployed in Eastern Europe. U.S. officials told News themezone that about 700 U.S. airborne troops who have been deployed to Germany, Romania and Poland would return home and not be replaced.

In a statement, U.S. Army Europe and Africa said it was part of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s “deliberate process to ensure a balanced U.S. military force posture,” and “not a U.S. withdrawal from Europe or a sign of diminished commitment to NATO and Article 5. Rather, it is a positive sign of greater European capability and responsibility.”

“Our NATO allies “We are fulfilling President Trump’s call to assume primary responsibility for Europe’s conventional defense,” the Army said. “This adjustment of force posture will not change the security environment in Europe.”

NATO and its allies highlight the “continued commitment of the United States” to Europe

On Thursday, appearing willing to allay such concerns, Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said in a statement that the United States had “made a significant decision to maintain its military presence in Estonia, reaffirming the United States’ continued commitment to the defense of the region and the entire eastern flank of NATO.”

“We are working to further strengthen the US military presence in our region,” he added.

In September, Estonia claimed that Russian military aircraft had violated the country’s airspace during 12 minutesjust days after Poland said more than 20 Russian drones entered their airspace. This week, Lithuania closed its border with Belarus, Russia’s close ally, after accusing both countries of a “Deliberate escalation of hybrid warfare.“.

NATO says deterrence measures along its eastern flank have been “massively reinforced” over the past decade “as a direct result of Russia’s behavior.” That border runs from the Arctic Sea in the north to the Black Sea in the south.

The reinforcements include American troops, but the Trump administration has heavily pressured its European NATO allies to take more responsibility (and bear a greater financial burden) for their own security, announcing earlier this year that it would make the Indo-Pacific a primary foreign policy focus, rather than Europe, despite the ongoing war in Ukraine.

“The decision was expected,” Romania’s Defense Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday, referring to the announcement of the US troop reduction.

US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker said in a social media post that the US partnership with Romania “remains stronger than ever” and reiterated the Pentagon’s message that it was in response to the increased capabilities of European forces.

The assurances have not quelled debate over whether the move could be just the beginning of a broader U.S. withdrawal from Europe. Ukrainian newspaper Kyiv Post reported Friday that further U.S. troop reductions are expected, with troops withdrawn from Bulgaria, Slovakia and Hungary by the end of the year.

There was no immediate public response to the report from the Pentagon or the Trump administration.

NATO has also sought to ease concerns, with a senior alliance military official telling News themezone on Thursday that, “even with this adjustment, the U.S. force posture in Europe remains higher than it has been for many years.”

“The United States’ commitment to NATO is clear,” the official said. “President Trump and his administration have reiterated this time and time again. NATO has strong defense plans and we are working to ensure we maintain adequate forces and capabilities to deter and defend each other.”

Concern in Washington, from both sides of the aisle

The announcement drew bipartisan criticism in Washington, with some senior lawmakers warning it could embolden Russia and undermine the NATO alliance.

In a joint statement issued Thursday by the U.S. House Armed Services Committee, the chairmen of that committee and the corresponding Senate body (both Republicans) said they strongly opposed the change in the U.S. deployment in Romania, which they said “appears uncoordinated and directly at odds with the President’s strategy.”

Senator Roger Wicker and Representative Mike Rogers, in the statement, also indicated that they believed the Pentagon could make further reductions in the US deployment in Europe.

“We strongly oppose the decision not to maintain the US rotational brigade in Romania and the Pentagon’s process for its current force posture review, which may result in further withdrawals of US forces from Eastern Europe,” the Republican lawmakers said.

“On March 19, we stated that we will not accept significant changes to our warfighting structure that are made without a rigorous interagency process, coordination with combatant commanders and the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and collaboration with Congress,” Wicker and Rogers said. “Unfortunately, this appears to be exactly what is being attempted.”

On Thursday, Rep. Mike Turner, also a Republican and head of the U.S. delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, said he was “concerned by reports of reductions in U.S. forces in Romania.”

“Congress has been clear that the posture of US forces across Europe must remain strong and determined. Russia’s aggressive actions against eastern flank countries through intentional incursions into airspace underscore Russia’s ambition beyond Ukraine,” Turner said. “It is in our national security interest to support our NATO allies as they rightly increase their investments in their defense capabilities.”

Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, called the decision to reduce the U.S. presence in the region “deeply misguided” in a statement released Thursday.

“This decision sends exactly the wrong signal to Vladimir Putin as he continues his murderous campaign in Ukraine and tests NATO’s resolve through provocations against other frontline states,” he said.