Colby did not give a definitive answer on whether the US would maintain its current troop presence in Romania. Instead, he said he would present several possible scenarios to US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, who would then submit the options to president Donald Trump for a final decision, G4media.ro reported.
Colby said Trump was expected to make a decision in early December.
The US official’s visit came as the Pentagon reviews the deployment of American forces across Europe, with Colby playing a central role in the process.
The Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, who is the Pentagon’s second-ranking civilian official after Hegseth, has supported a reassessment of the US military commitment to Europe.
During the meeting at Cotroceni Palace, Dan presented Romania’s assessment of the security situation in the Black Sea region and discussed the country’s support for US military operations in Iran, according to a statement posted by the president on X on Wednesday.
Romania hosts US forces and military equipment as part of Washington’s military presence on NATO’s eastern flank. The future size and deployment of those forces are among the issues being considered in the broader review of US military commitments in Europe.
Colby’s discussions in Bucharest did not settle the question of whether the current deployment would be maintained. The decision rests with Trump after the Pentagon leadership presents the available scenarios.
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