BUCHAREST — NATO head Mark Rutte on Wednesday shrugged off a US decision to withdraw troops from Romania, after fears it could spell a broader disengagement by Washington.

 

"I really think we are making a little bit too much out of this," Rutte said at a press conference with Romania's president in Bucharest.

 

"These adjustments take place. Please don't read too much into that."

 

Romania said last week the United States was pulling out troops from the country, which borders war-torn Ukraine, but that some 1,000 US personnel are set to remain.

 

Washington has denied that the move signals a step back from helping defend Europe at a time of heightened worry over the threat from Russia.

 

The withdrawal comes amid a review of US military deployments worldwide that has intensified concerns about President Donald Trump's commitment to European members of the US-led NATO alliance.

 

The Trump administration has said it is considering shifting more forces to focus more on other challenges, such as China.

 

"The US has a big presence in Europe, and that presence is there, and within that presence, they are always looking, how can they make best use of their resources," Rutte said.

 

"Even with this adjustment, the US force posture in Europe remains larger than it has been for many years. There are still many more US forces on the continent than before 2022."

 

Trump has long accused NATO allies of not spending enough on defence -- but the military alliance sought to win over the US leader by pledging to ramp up expenditure at a summit this summer.