NATO summit: Support for Moldova and Ukraine on Nicușor Dan's agenda
Romanian President Nicușor Dan does not believe there is a risk of the United States withdrawing its troops from NATO's Eastern Flank, especially given the current Russian threat. He views the situation as a renegotiation aimed at a more equitable distribution of security costs between American and European partners.
Nicușor Dan was asked during a press conference on Wednesday, upon his arrival at the NATO summit in Ankara, whether he had discussed the American military presence in Europe and in Romania with U.S. officials and whether a review of this presence was expected.
"What was the Hague summit last year? It was an attempt to rebalance security contributions between the United States and other partners. If you have seen the draft declaration from that summit, you will notice that it mentions the contributions of Canada and European states in several places. We are on the right track for achieving this balance. Part of the contribution, quantified in financial terms, includes the presence of American troops in Europe. This will certainly be a topic of discussion in the short, medium, and long term. Rebalancing includes this aspect as well. However, given the explicit mention of the Russian threat, I do not foresee any risk of troop withdrawals from the Eastern Flank," responded Nicușor Dan.
He also emphasized the importance of allied unity, Article 5 concerning collective defense of NATO territory, and the transatlantic bond in the final declaration of the Ankara summit.
"It is very important for Romania that the draft declaration includes mentions of unity, Article 5—which pertains to the collective defense of all NATO territory—and the transatlantic bond. This summit occurs one year after the one in The Hague, where an increase in military spending was agreed upon, and it serves as an assessment of what has transpired since then," stated the Romanian head of state.
Nicușor Dan confirmed that defense investments have increased, including in Romania, but drew attention to a question that he considers more important than the numbers themselves: to what extent the allocated money is actually transformed into new military equipment.
In this context, Dan mentioned several projects launched at the Alliance level aimed at boosting equipment production, as well as the integration of new technologies and research and development in the allied defense industry.
"It is also important that the declaration, the draft declaration mentions the Russian threat, so implicitly the eastern flank, obviously, the war in Ukraine. We will insist on the importance of the Black Sea, as we have done every time. I believe the Minister informed you about the signing of the agreement with Turkey and Bulgaria to expand the demining program, and about the progress we have made, as you know, on the European Union side with that civil security hub. And, as I announced to you, part of these equipment production programs is the establishment, and not only the production of equipment, but also the introduction of new technologies, research, development in the military equipment that the allied industry produces", the Romanian President detailed.
Dan recalled that Romania will host one of the two secondary headquarters of a future defense bank, alongside the Baltic states, an institution whose main headquarters will be in Canada, and the European one - in Luxembourg.
The President also stated that he had, the day before, a discussion with a delegation of American senators, in which he addressed both issues related to NATO and the bilateral Romania-USA relationship, including the expansion of the military base at Mihail Kogălniceanu and opportunities to deepen economic exchanges and the presence of American companies on the Romanian market.
Black Sea security and support for the Republic of Moldova
Nicușor Dan is currently participating in the NATO Heads of State and Government meeting, which is taking place in Ankara, Turkey.
According to the Romanian authorities, one of the main objectives of the delegation led by President Nicușor Dan is to reconfirm Romania's profile as a reliable ally and highlight national contributions to Euro-Atlantic security.
In the field of defense, Romania will present the progress regarding the increase of the military budget, after in 2025 it allocated 3.18% of GDP for defense and related expenses, and in 2026 their level reached 3.69% of GDP, including by increasing investments in acquisitions and development of capabilities, writes Caleaeuropeană.ro.
Regionally, Bucharest will support the continued consolidation of the deterrence and defense posture on the Eastern Flank, with an emphasis on the Black Sea region and on maintaining an appropriate allied military presence in Romania. The Romanian authorities will also signal the impact of Russian aggression on regional security, including repeated incidents with drones in the proximity of the national territory, and will request that NATO maintain increased attention to these threats.
At the same time, Romania will reaffirm its support for Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova and highlight its contributions to the security of the Black Sea, including through participation in the trilateral naval mine-clearing group, MCM Black Sea, together with Bulgaria and Turkey.
Romania is also participating in the new initiatives launched during the summit, including NATO Drone Edge, dedicated to cooperation in the field of countering drones and training drone pilots, the NATO Innovation Scale-Up Package program, designed to accelerate innovation and development of the defense industry, as well as a series of memoranda on high-visibility NATO projects for the development of allied capabilities.
