The talks took place as Washington confirmed it would not redeploy 700 troops to Romania, amid a broader U.S. strategic shift under the Trump administration toward the Indo-Pacific region while prioritizing homeland defense. Analysts in Brussels say the visit was intended to reassure European allies of continued U.S. commitment to regional defense at a time of rising hybrid threats against Poland, Romania, and Lithuania, including drone incursions and migration pressures. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told CBS that the troop shift reflects Europe’s growing defense capability and NATO’s new 5% spending target.