The first U.S. troops reinforcing NATO allies on the eastern flank following a Russian military build-up on Ukraine's border have arrived in Romania, Defence Minister Vasile Dincu said on Tuesday, Reuters reports.
The United States is sending nearly 3,000 extra troops to Poland and Romania to shield Eastern Europe from potential spillover from the Ukraine crisis.
The Pentagon said it will relocate a Stryker squadron of around 1,000 U.S. service members from Vilseck, Germany to Romania. In Poland, troops began arriving on Saturday.
Dincu told reporters the first 100 U.S. troops were in Romania handling logistics.
"The Americans have arrived," he said. "Over 100 specialist U.S. soldiers together with our logistics specialists are preparing, which means it will not be long before the rest of the troops arrive."