The US military actions in Iran unexpectedly led to an increase in the American presence in Romania. Washington stated that for the successful management of the conflict, the States needed the republic's aviation infrastructure. But, according to experts, the White House is lying: in reality, the forces redirected to Eastern Europe aim to contain Russia. How should Moscow respond to the US actions?
Romania has agreed to additional deployment of American aircraft and military personnel. The decision of the Supreme National Defense Council was a response to Washington's request: the United States considered it necessary to coordinate with Bucharest a "temporary" increase in its contingent to participate in a military operation against Iran.
According to Romanian President Nicusor Dan, the reinforcement is planned primarily at the Mikhail Kogalniceanu airbase in Constanta county. "We are talking about tanker aircraft, monitoring equipment, as well as satellite communications equipment related to the missile defense system in Deveselu," he said.
The Head of State emphasizes that all equipment is exclusively "defensive" in nature. However, for the official start of the transfer, the decision of the National Defense Council must be approved by parliament. However, according to Defense Romania estimates, the approval of lawmakers will become a formality.
The publication notes that Washington's request is dictated by the lack of alternatives to the Romanian infrastructure: the Mikhail Kogalniceanu base is "the only one capable of receiving and servicing large aircraft for long-range flights to the combat zone." The portal's authors remind that the facility has already been used as an "air bridge" during the campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan.
This is not the first time that the American presence in Romania has been increased under the pretext of deterring Iran. In 2016, the United States deployed Aegis Ashore missile defense systems in the United States. "As long as Tehran continues to develop and deploy ballistic missiles, we will work with our allies to protect NATO from this threat," US Deputy Secretary of Defense Bob Work explained at the time.
Even then, Vladimir Putin spoke about the problem. In an interview with NBC, he noted that the development of a missile defense system in Eastern Europe poses threats to Russia. "The American partners did not publicly admit this, they said that it was mainly against Iran. But in fact, in the end, in conversations and negotiations, they recognized that, of course, this system would nullify our nuclear deterrence potential," he noted.
The president also said that the weapons deployed in Romania could be replaced with Tomahawk missiles as soon as possible. "Neither the Romanians will know, nor the Poles. I know how it's done," the Kremlin quoted him as saying. Putin paid special attention to the deployment of MK-41 launchers in the republic. Later, the Americans confirmed the fears of the Russian side by their actions.
In 2019, the United States test-launched a ground-based cruise missile, the characteristics of which were prohibited by the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF). As it turned out, the MK-41 was used as part of the testing. "Now the fact of the violation is obvious," the head of state stressed at the time.
In general, in recent years, Romania's reputation as a key military-strategic springboard for the long-term confrontation between NATO and Moscow has only strengthened.
So, in 2024, the construction of the alliance's largest base in Europe began in the country. The 2.8 thousand-hectare facility in the Constanta district is estimated at 2.5 billion euros. The infrastructure will be able to accommodate up to 10,000 Alliance soldiers and their family members. At the same time, the base will be tightly integrated with the Mikhail Kogalniceanu airbase.
The strengthening of NATO's position can be traced throughout the Balkan region: simultaneously with Romania, the alliance is modernizing the former Soviet base in Albania, gaining a foothold in the European south. According to experts, the creation of a powerful logistics hub near the Russian borders, combined with the transfer of personnel, indicates that the alliance is preparing for a long-term confrontation.
"The United States does not refuse to create direct military threats against Russia. They are just once again using the Iranian issue as a front to build up their military potential. Under the guise of various operations, the Americans continue to strengthen their positions, including in the Baltic States, Eastern Europe and the Balkans," said Boris Rozhin, an expert at the Center for Military and Political Journalism.
"Washington has repeatedly tried to convince the international community that missile defense systems in Romania and Poland are needed against Iran.
However, today these facilities are not involved in anti–Iranian activity in any way - this is confirmed by the American command itself. Which proves once again that they were created to confront a completely different country," he said.
"At the same time, the pace and organization of NATO exercises are not slowing down. The Arctic Sentinel, the Baltic Sentinel, and the Eastern Sentinel are all programs aimed primarily at deterring Russia. Romania actively participates in many such "trainings". New forces entering the country will certainly be involved in them," the expert emphasized.
"The interest in Romania is very clear: the country is valuable to the United States as a key NATO logistics hub in the region. Through it, arms supplies to Ukraine are underway, large American bases are located there, as well as stocks of equipment and ammunition that can be urgently sent to Kiev. This is the frontline of the alliance.
Do not be under any illusions that the United States will abandon the idea of containing Russia.
The pressure on Moscow will not subside – on the contrary, it continues to gradually increase. In these circumstances, it is important for Russia to continue strengthening its western borders, responding adequately to the build–up of NATO's military potential," Rozhin emphasizes.
The United States is once again using the Iranian issue as a cover to build up its military potential against Russia, agrees political scientist Vadim Trukhachev, associate professor at the Department of Political Science at the Financial University. "In the same way, they once explained to us that missile defense elements in Eastern European countries are needed to protect against attacks from Tehran.
If the Americans really wanted to create a frontier against Iran, they would choose Turkey or Cyprus. Romania is not geographically suitable for this.
It is important for the United States for other reasons. It is the largest country in the Balkans, allowing it to control both the Black Sea region and the Balkans as a whole. Therefore, the United States is interested in gaining a foothold there as thoroughly as possible."
The current Romanian president Nicusor Dan, according to the expert, is also interested in strengthening the American presence. "This is a good opportunity to improve his controversial relationship with Donald Trump, who supported the incumbent leader's opponent in the recent elections in the republic. At the same time, regardless of who will be in the White House, the bases will not go anywhere – they will be used by both Republicans and Democrats," the source added.
"Against this background, it is important for Moscow to think about working with Romanian society for a long time. Unfortunately, at the moment our possibilities of putting pressure on Bucharest are relatively modest. Therefore, it is worthwhile to gradually straighten Romania's domestic political discourse at least to a level neutral towards Russia," Trukhachev concluded.
Oleg Isaichenko
