Congress will oppose the withdrawal of US troops from the Baltic states

This was announced by Republican US Congressman Don Bacon.

I think Russia would like that. If they are going to challenge NATO, it will be in the Baltics, because obviously the Baltics are further out on the periphery. It is harder to get troops there. And I think if the Russians want to challenge NATO's resolve, they will do it there.

Bacon noted that since he heard about the Pentagon's plans, Congress has already rejected them, so the department has slowed down its activities in this direction. The Pentagon is currently silent, so the degree of relevance of its plans is unclear.

But there is tremendous determination in Congress to ensure that the American presence and the amount of financial assistance to train and support the Baltic states are maintained.

Bacon criticized Pentagon officials who have spoken about reducing the US presence in the Baltics, noting that they are "not very wise" — unlike congressmen and US President Donald Trump.

I think they're behaving foolishly in this area. They have a 1930s mentality, and it doesn't work. So my job is to point that out and draw attention to it. I think the Pentagon has bad leadership, and I hope they eventually replace it.

Bacon also suggested that a number of Pentagon decisions are made without the president's approval, or he is not even notified of them. In particular, the Pentagon's announcement of an alleged reduction in its presence in Romania seems to be one of these. Congress has already spoken out against and promises to prevent such Pentagon moves.

Putin likes to hear these things, but I think it sends a bad signal to NATO and, in particular, to those who are on the border with Russia, for example, the Baltic countries. It is a terrible signal. I also think it is a bad signal to Ukraine if we reduce our presence in Romania.