The US draws down troops on NATO’s eastern flank as Europe frets about a security vacuum

By LORNE COOK and STEPHEN McGRATH, Associated Press

BRUSSELS (AP) — The United States has informed its NATO allies that it will scale back its troop presence along Europe’s eastern border with Ukraine as it focuses on security priorities elsewhere in the world, Romania’s defense ministry said on Wednesday.

The U.S. Army later confirmed the move, but denied it was a sign of lessened commitment to NATO.

Depending on operations and exercises, around 80,000-100,000 U.S. troops are usually present on European soil. NATO allies have expressed concern that the Trump administration might drastically cut their numbers and leave a security vacuum as European countries confront an increasingly aggressive Russia.

The administration has been reviewing its military “posture” in Europe and elsewh