The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, stated that the USA could build a structure of influence in Eastern Europe, including Romania, if the EU delays strategic decisions.

The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, warned that the United States could develop its own structure of influence in Eastern Europe, targeting 'five to ten countries', including Romania, if the European Union continues to delay strategic decisions regarding the expansion and integration of candidate states. These statements were made in a recent episode of the podcast The Rest Is Politics: Leading, hosted by Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart. Vučić emphasized that Washington could exert significant influence over some states in Eastern Europe, without them being formally 'under the control' of the USA. This situation could change the geopolitical dynamics in the region, putting pressure on the European Union to act more decisively regarding the expansion and integration of candidate states.