Bloomberg reports, citing European officials, that in the event of a potential confrontation with Russia, NATO may have to rely on far more limited support from the United States. Washington is steadily drawing down its military presence in Europe as it shifts strategic attention toward the Asia-Pacific.

According to the article, recent military exercises in Romania were designed to test whether European forces could carry out key defensive tasks on their own. The results exposed serious weaknesses in logistics, air defense, intelligence, and long-range strike capabilities — underscoring that Europe remains heavily dependent on U.S. support.

Amid these concerns, European governments are trying to persuade Washington not to further scale back its military footprint on the continent. It is recalled that in late October 2025, the United States announced plans to reduce its troop presence in Romania from 1,700 to 1,000 service members and to withdraw its contingents from Bulgaria, Slovakia, and Hungary.

Bloomberg notes that U.S. threats to halt military assistance to Ukraine have already raised the question of whether Europe may soon have to defend Ukraine — and its own eastern border — either largely on its own or with only limited help from American forces.

NATO’s exercises took place from October 20 to November 13 in Romania, involving more than 5,000 Romanian troops and nine other alliance members: Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Italy, Luxembourg, North Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, and Spain.