Nicușor Dan, interview for the Financial Times: “We want more American troops and more lethal capabilities”

President Nicușor Dan told Financial Times that Romania wants a stronger American military presence and has proposed to Washington a cost-sharing formula for stationing U.S. troops. The offer was recently presented to U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense Elbridge Colby during his visit to Romania and Poland.

The head of state said Bucharest wants more American troops and capabilities with greater firepower. According to the Presidential Administration, 1,172 American troops are currently in Romania, compared with approximately 1,700 previously. The formula under consideration could be similar to the model proposed by Poland, which offered to pay $15,000 annually for each American service member stationed at the permanent “Fort Trump” base.

Nicușor Dan explained that Romania understands the threat posed by Russia and the effects of the war in Ukraine on security in the Black Sea. Russian drones have repeatedly reached Romanian territory, while commercial vessels have been hit near the coast. Romania intends to strengthen its defenses and supplement its equipment without escalating the situation.

The president emphasized the strategic importance of the base at Mihail Kogălniceanu, the port of Constanța, and the missile defense facility at Deveselu. He said that relations with the Donald Trump administration had improved after tensions caused by the cancellation of the 2024 presidential election.