France restates commitment to defend Romania after US decreases military presence

France’s minister for armed forces and veterans, Catherine Vautrin, declared on Thursday, October 30, during a press conference, that the French troops in Romania will not be downsized.

The French minister was in Romania to meet with Romanian counterpart Ionuț Moșteanu. The two officials analyzed the security situation in the Black Sea region, France’s contribution to strengthening NATO’s posture on the eastern flank, and bilateral cooperation in support of collective defense.

They also visited the troops deployed at the Joint National Training Center "Getica" in Cincu, in central Romania.

"I am here to confirm the strength of our commitment to Europe’s security and to mark a new step in the defense partnership between France and Romania,” Vautrin noted during the press conference, according to Agerpres. “The number of soldiers in Romania has been increased. France remains at the number already established within the Alliance."

In turn, Moșteanu emphasized the essential role of France in Romania’s defense.

"The presence of French soldiers, alongside those from Belgium, Luxembourg, and Spain, represents a solid guarantee of allied solidarity and a strong signal of France’s commitment to the security of the Black Sea region," said the Romanian minister.

Ionuț Moșteanu also provided more context to the partial withdrawal of US troops from Romania.

"This is part of a global strategy decided by the United States to focus more of its military efforts on the Indo-Pacific, taking note that Europe is now standing on its own feet militarily. From here on, we are in continuous discussions with all allies, both American and European,” he said, adding that over 3,000 French soldiers are currently in Romania.

Around 1,000 US soldiers will remain in Romania after the partial retreat. The number of American troops will remain unchanged at the bases in Deveselu and Câmpia Turzii, with the only change to take place at the Mihail Kogălniceanu base, where a rotational brigade will no longer be deployed.

The visit to the Cincu base took place in the context of the DACIAN FALL 2025 exercise, during which the Allied Battle Group is raising its operational level from battalion to brigade, with approximately 5,000 soldiers. The exercise aims to increase interoperability and strengthen collective defense capabilities, as well as to practice host-nation support provided by Romania.