Romania will not host nuclear components on its territory in the medium term, President Nicusor Dan said on Thursday, responding to France’s push to expand nuclear deterrence cooperation with European allies. He stressed that while Romania is protected under NATO’s nuclear umbrella, that does not require nuclear assets to be stationed in the country.
French President Emmanuel Macron recently proposed expanding France’s nuclear role in Europe, including the possibility of allies hosting French aircraft involved in deterrence missions. France and Germany have also created a joint nuclear steering group and plan to begin concrete cooperation this year.
Romania has been invited to discussions alongside several European partners, but Dan said hosting nuclear components remains “out of the question” for now. Most European countries continue to rely primarily on the United States’ nuclear umbrella as the core of the continent’s long-standing security framework…
Nicusor Dan // Shutterstock