According to the Vietnam News Agency correspondent in Eastern Europe, Romania has proposed sharing the costs of maintaining US troops stationed in the country, similar to Poland ‘s proposal, as Central and Eastern European nations seek to bolster Washington’s security commitment to the region.
On November 12, Romanian President Nicușor Dan stated that he had provided “some figures” regarding troop numbers and cost-sharing, and expressed his desire for the US to increase troop numbers and deploy more military capabilities in Romania.
This move comes as Poland also seeks to increase the US military presence on its territory, stemming from concerns about security threats from Russia.
Moscow continues its military campaign in Ukraine and is accused by many European leaders of conducting coordinated attacks against European Union (EU) member states.
In September, Warsaw offered to pay the US $15,000 per year for each soldier stationed at a planned permanent base in Poland, while also committing to covering infrastructure costs.
The Romanian President’s office said Bucharest is also considering a similar contribution.
According to figures provided by the Romanian President’s Office, there are currently 1,172 US soldiers stationed in Romania, down from approximately 1,700 previously.
Meanwhile, Poland currently has approximately 10,000 US troops, mostly deployed on a rotational basis. Both countries are NATO members and share a land border with Ukraine.
Romanian President Nicușor Dan emphasized that his country is well aware of the threat from Russia as well as the impact of the conflict in Ukraine on national security.
Since Russia launched its full-scale military campaign in Ukraine in 2022, Romania has repeatedly reported airspace violations, including instances of drones crashing on its territory or damaging residential areas. Strategically located on the Black Sea coast, the country has also experienced attacks targeting commercial vessels.
The Trump administration is currently reviewing the deployment of US forces in Europe and has reduced troop numbers in Romania. However, Trump has previously expressed support for establishing a permanent US military base in Poland.
On November 10, Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz stated that he considered the Pentagon’s response, following talks with his American counterpart Pete Hegseth in Washington, as a positive signal regarding plans to build a permanent US base in Poland. He expressed his expectation that the White House would make a final decision by early December.