New Delhi: Romanian President Nicușor Dan has proposed paying the United States to maintain its military presence in Romania amid Russian drone incursions and US President Donald Trump’s moves to reduce American deployments in Europe, The Financial Times (FT) reported.
Speaking to the FT, Dan said he had proposed “some figures…about the troops, about the sharing of costs”. He said he wanted to see more US troops deployed in Romania, along with more lethal military capabilities.
Dan presented the proposal to US defence under-secretary Elbridge Colby during his visit to Poland and Romania days earlier.
The Romanian president said his country was taking a hard line on Russia, having understood the threat it posed and the risks the war in Ukraine presented to Romania’s security.
He added that Romania was considering a policy similar to Poland’s. In September, Poland offered to pay the US $15,000 annually for each American soldier deployed at a planned permanent military base, named Fort Trump. It has also offered to fund the base. The US currently has about 10,000 soldiers in Poland, spread across a dozen sites.
Romania, meanwhile, currently hosts 1,172 American soldiers, down from 1,700, according to Dan’s office.
Dan also spoke of plans to strengthen security in the Black Sea region, particularly in response to Russian drone incursions, but ruled out any escalation. He said Romania was increasing its defence budget, although it continued to lag behind Poland’s spending because of its large public deficit. Poland’s military expenditure is already close to 5 per cent of its GDP, while NATO allies have committed to meeting Trump’s target of spending 5 per cent of GDP on defence by 2035.
Dan also highlighted Romania’s strategic importance to Washington, noting that it was the only European country to allow American forces to use its air bases for operations against Iran this year, while other EU capitals denied permission. He said the US air base at Mihail Kogălniceanu and the port of Constanta were of strategic significance to Washington.
The Romanian president also pointed to improving ties with the Trump administration since the country’s 2024 presidential election, which was annulled following allegations of Russian interference.
(Edited by Anupama Yadav)
Also Read: Russia-Ukraine capitals exchange fire as peace talks conclude and US envoys plan to meet Putin