Romanian – American Defense Cooperation

President Joe Biden reiterates the US's commitment to the security of Romania and of the other allies on the Eastern Flank

Ştefan Stoica, 04.10.2023, 13:50

The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, was among the allied political leaders with whom the head of the White House, Joe Biden, had a teleconference on Tuesday. Like most such discussions that have taken place since the start of the war, the talks focused on aid for Ukraine and pressing issues related to defense and security. The White House leader, who was joined by the Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, assured the allies that the support of Ukraine will continue as long as necessary.

Even if the latest financial allocations do not include funds for Kyiv, due to the opposition of the conservative camp, Joe Biden keeps putting pressure and says that the Republican Party, which dominates the House of Representatives, must keep its word and ensure the vote of the necessary aid to Ukraine so that it can defend itsfel. The United States, Reuters recalls, leads the Western coalition that supports Ukraine and is the main provider of aid for it, in the form of heavy and sophisticated weaponry.

In another move, President Biden reiterated the commitment of the United States to the security of Romania and the other allies on the eastern flank, including the recent deployment of additional American F-16 fighter jets in our country. According to the presidential administration in Bucharest, the discussions also focused on ensuring food safety and critical supply chains.

President Iohannis stressed that Russia must stop the attacks on the Ukrainian ports on the Danube, in the immediate vicinity of Romania, which are war crimes and aim to destroy grain warehouses and critical supply infrastructure, affecting also transport on the Danube. He presented the lines of action undertaken so far at the national and allied level, by strengthening surveillance measures, increasing vigilance, monitoring and aerial policing in the Black Sea region and thanked NATO, as well as the United States of America and other allies for the help provided in this regard.

Romanias president called on the leaders attending to intensify efforts to ensure the deterrence and defense posture on the Eastern Flank and the Black Sea, more efficiently and better calibrated to the current security situation. Klaus Iohannis stressed that at this moment, increased capabilities are needed for the detection and interception of drones, as well as for a stronger air defense, in accordance with the decisions made at the Vilnius Summit. Romania, assured the head of state, will maintain, in solidarity, as long as necessary, its support for Ukraine, on all relevant levels – including grain transit. The US President and the participating leaders appreciated the efforts made by Romania in support of Ukraine, including, among other things, the training of Ukrainian F-16 pilots. (MI)