NATO welcomes more U.S. forces to Romania, says reinforcing in east

Soldiers of the U.S. 2nd Cavalry Regiment stand next to a combat vehicle as they prepare their gear for deployment to Romania at Rose Barracks in Vilseck, Germany, February 9, 2022. REUTERS/Lukas Barth

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Friday that the presence of American troops in Romania showed the United States' commitment to the security of Europe, as more soldiers arrived at an airbase.

Stoltenberg, speaking alongside Romania's president, also reiterated his concerns about a possible Russian invasion in Ukraine and said the alliance would consider a longer-term presence in south-eastern Europe in the coming months.

"We continue to reinforce our eastern flank," Stoltenberg said, stressing that NATO's actions were defensive.

(Reporting by Luiza Ilie, Marine Strauss, Robin Emmott Emmott; Editing by John Chalmers)