In brief: Romania is seeking a stronger US military presence through a cost-sharing proposal modeled on Poland’s arrangement. The offer comes as Washington reviews its European deployments, a year after reducing troop numbers in Romania.
Romania has offered to help fund a larger US military presence on its territory as Russian drone incursions raise security concerns along NATO’s southeastern flank.
President Nicușor Dan outlined the proposal in an interview published by the Financial Times on Thursday, Nov. 12, following talks with Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby in Bucharest.
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Dan also told a news conference on Tuesday that Romania’s offer resembled Poland’s cost-sharing arrangement, which provides about $15,000 annually for each American service member stationed there. Some details of the Romanian proposal, including locations and equipment, remain confidential, according to Romanian broadcaster Digi24.
The offer comes as Washington reviews its military deployments across Europe. Dan said the assessment led by Colby, the US undersecretary of defense for policy, had been completed and forwarded to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
“The assessment by Mr. Colby’s office is finished,” Dan said, according to Digi24. He added that the outcome would depend primarily on the US administration’s decisions.
Black Sea concerns follow US troop reduction
Bucharest’s proposal comes roughly a year after the Pentagon stopped replacing a rotating US Army brigade with personnel deployed across several Eastern European countries, including Romania.
Kyiv Post reported on the planned reduction ahead of its public announcement in October 2025. The decision reduced the American contingent in Romania by about 700 troops, leaving approximately 1,000 at the time, according to Stars and Stripes.
The current US contingent stands at 1,172 personnel, down from about 1,700, according to figures from Dan’s office cited in reporting on the FT interview.
During his Nov. 4 meeting with Colby, Dan highlighted threats to Black Sea navigation and energy infrastructure, alongside aerial and maritime drone incursions, cyberattacks and sabotage.
He described the Black Sea as one of the most dangerous and unstable maritime regions because of the spillover from Russia’s war against Ukraine, according to Romanian news agency Agerpres.
American forces remain stationed at Mihail Kogălniceanu, Deveselu and Câmpia Turzii. When the reduction was announced last year, Romania’s defense ministry said troop levels at Deveselu and Câmpia Turzii would remain unchanged, with the adjustment affecting Mihail Kogălniceanu.
Romania highlights its strategic location
Dan’s pitch also emphasizes Romania’s value to American operations beyond NATO territory.
He pointed to Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base, near Constanța on the Black Sea coast, as a platform for projecting US air power into the Middle East and eastern Mediterranean, Stars and Stripes reported.
Romania is expanding the installation into one of NATO’s largest European bases. Kyiv Post reported when construction began in 2024 that the project was expected to cost approximately €2.5 billion and accommodate up to 10,000 personnel. Plans include a new runway and expanded military and residential infrastructure.
Bucharest has already authorized US use of Romanian facilities for operations connected to Iran. In March, Romania approved the deployment of American refueling aircraft, surveillance equipment and satellite communications systems, which Dan described as defensive and carrying no munitions, Reuters reported.
Poland, meanwhile, has combined its contribution toward troop costs with plans to fund infrastructure for a proposed permanent American base. In September, President Donald Trump said “major progress” was being made toward establishing the facility, with its location to be announced later.
A senior Polish defense official told RFE/RL that Warsaw was covering $15,000 annually per US soldier and offering infrastructure support. The proposed base, commonly called “Fort Trump,” could accommodate about 5,000 permanent personnel, with reported construction estimates reaching $4.4 billion.
Romania is now making a similar financial case for a lasting American presence, with the final deployment decision resting in Washington.
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