Romania’s president has reportedly offered to share the cost of stationing US troops in his country, mirroring an offer made by Warsaw this year as Central and Eastern European countries look to secure American commitment to the region’s security. In comments published by the Financial Times on Thursday, Romanian President Nicușor Dan said he had proposed “some figures … about the troops, about the sharing of costs,” adding that Bucharest wants “more American troops and more lethal capabilities.” The comments come as Poland also seeks to lock in the US military presence on its territory amid fears of a belligerent Russia, which continues to wage war in Ukraine and has been accused by European leaders of carrying out so-called hybrid attacks in EU countries. Warsaw in September offered to pay Washington $15,000 a year for each American soldier stationed at a proposed permanent US base in Poland, and to cover the base’s infrastructure costs. The Financial Times reported that the presidential office in Bucharest suggested it was considering a similar figure. The US currently has 1,172 troops stationed in Romania, down from 1,700, according to figures from Dan’s office cited by the Financial Times. In comparison, Poland plays host to around 10,000 American troops, most on a rotational basis. Both Poland and Romania are members of the NATO military alliance and share land borders with Ukraine. President Dan told the Financial Times: “We understand the threat of Russia and we understand how the war in Ukraine [threatens] our security.” Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Romania has on several occasions seen its airspace breached, including incidents involving drones crashing on its territory or damaging residential buildings. The country’s strategic position on the Black Sea means that it has also seen merchant shipping attacked off its coast. The administration of US President Donald Trump is reviewing American troop deployments in Europe and has reduced the US presence in Romania, but Trump has signaled support for a permanent US base in Poland. Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said on Tuesday that he interpreted the Pentagon’s response following talks with US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in Washington as a “green light” for a permanent US base in Poland. He added that he expected a final decision from the White House in early December.
