WASHINGTON DC – A rare bipartisan coalition in the US Congress is pushing back against the Pentagon’s plan to withdraw US troops from Romania, warning the move could send a message of retreat to Moscow as Russia’s war in Ukraine grinds on.
The pushback is formalized in a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, issued on Thursday, and led by House Foreign Affairs Europe Subcommittee Ranking Member Bill Keating (D-MA), Ukraine Caucus Co-Chair Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), and Romania Caucus Co-Chairs Tom Suozzi (D-NY) and Michael Turner (R-OH).
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Sixteen additional lawmakers from both parties signed on, underscoring deep unease across the aisle over the administration’s decision to scale back the US military footprint on NATO’s eastern flank.
The letter explicitly states the core concern: “We write to express our serious concern regarding the announcement that the Department of Defense will remove 700 US service members from Romania on NATO’s Eastern Flank.”
“Undermines US commitments”
The group warned that the withdrawal, coming as Ukraine continues to battle Russian forces, risks undermining US credibility in Europe and weakening NATO deterrence.
“With the war in Ukraine still raging, this move undermines American commitments to Europe and the broader transatlantic alliance,” they wrote, adding that it also contradicts US President Donald Trump’s stated goal of securing a durable peace in Ukraine.
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A bipartisan alliance of defense heavyweights in Congress are moving to block the Trump administration’s controversial plan to pull troops out of Romania and other NATO outposts on Russia’s frontier.
The letter points to a string of recent Russian provocations – including drone incursions into Poland, airspace violations over Estonia and Romania, and hybrid warfare tactics targeting NATO members – as evidence that the threat from Moscow remains “enduring and acute.”
They also stress Romania’s role as a linchpin partner: hosting a US Aegis Ashore missile defense site and serving as a logistics hub for Ukraine-related operations along the Black Sea.
“Bucharest has demonstrated steadfast resolve in support of NATO’s collective defense,” they wrote.
Rare Republican rift
The rebuke marks a notable split within Republican ranks, where public dissent against the White House has been scarce during Trump’s second term. Turner’s participation – alongside Fitzpatrick – signals a widening discomfort among national-security-minded Republicans with the White House’s “America First” military posture.
The administration insists the drawdown is part of a “deliberate process to ensure a balanced US military force posture,” pointing to increased European defense contributions and improved capabilities from allies like Romania.
But lawmakers argue that the optics of a withdrawal at this moment play directly into the Kremlin’s hands. “This decision provides further ammunition to Moscow, suggesting that the United States is retreating from Europe just as Ukraine and its allies face mounting pressure,” the letter warns.
The move comes when, as Kyiv Post reported over the weekend, a broader legislative fight is now looming and lawmakers are preparing legislation to block the troop withdrawal — an action that would pit Congress directly against the Pentagon and the White House.
The letter closes with a pointed demand: “We strongly urge a reconsideration of this decision and an explanation to Congress and the relevant committees about how the Pentagon intends to bolster the transatlantic relationship and continue its commitments to the NATO alliance.”
With this rare coalition aligned, the administration now faces a legislative and political test over how far it will swing Washington’s posture toward Europe – and whether symbolic reductions turn into substantive retreat.