BRUSSELS (Reuters) -NATO and US authorities are in close contact about force posture, a NATO official said on Wednesday after Romania's defence ministry said allies were notified of U.S. plans to cut the number of troops stationed on Europe's eastern flank.

Romania's defense minister first announced the move, saying the US had briefed NATO allies. The US military called it "a positive sign of increased European capability and responsibility."

Russia, through its Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, has maintained that Moscow has no plans to attack the European Union (EU) or NATO member states. Speaking at the Minsk International Conference on Eurasian security,

It is the first announcement of the Trump administration’s plans to scale back forces in Europe, where the U.S. has underpinned security since World War II.