In an op-ed for The Daily Signal, Nicușor Dan asks Washington for a stronger American military presence in Romania's Black Sea sector and offers greater costs and responsibilities in return.
According to Dan's op-ed, two Romanian F-16 aircraft shot down two jet-engine drones that had entered Romanian airspace over the Black Sea.
After a drone strike set the chemical tanker Wine Trader on fire on 15 October, five crew members including the captain were lifted by Black Hawk 275 helicopter while seven remained missing.
The Presidency bought a US lobbying contract in May 2026 capped at 565,000 dollars a month, about 3 million dollars over an initial six months, and an 854,000-dollar invoice followed on 30 June 2026.
Romanian President Nicușor Dan has written an opinion piece for The Daily Signal, a conservative American publication, calling for a stronger American military presence in Romania's Black Sea sector. The article, whose Romanian title translates as Holding the edge: Romania on NATO's Black Sea flank, says Romania is ready to take on greater responsibilities and costs on the alliance's eastern flank. Reports place its publication around 19 and 20 October 2026, and Romanian outlets describe it as his fourth opinion piece in the American press.
Dan opens with the situation on the water.
“While I write these lines, two F-16 aircraft of my country have just shot down two jet-engine drones that had entered Romanian airspace over the Black Sea.”
He argues that the Black Sea has shifted from a zone of economic cooperation into one of the most volatile geopolitical areas since Russia annexed Crimea. He cites several hundred serious incidents of this kind recorded since the invasion of Ukraine.
Dan details two maritime incidents less than 24 hours apart. At 20:16 on 14 October, Romanian naval authorities at Sulina received a request for help from the Yara J, a vessel flying the Comoros flag that had been struck by drones. Within minutes the Coast Guard search and rescue ship Apollo left port to assist. In the early hours of 15 October the chemical tanker Wine Trader sent a distress signal and reported a fire on board after another drone strike. Two Romanian assistance vessels sailed at once, and five crew members, including the captain, were lifted onto a Black Hawk 275 helicopter of the Romanian Inspectorate for Emergency Situations, while a rescue ship kept searching for seven missing crew members.
Data from the article text
Dan says these incidents are not isolated. He points to earlier attacks in the same month: the Royad Mammadov was struck and sunk near Romanian territorial waters, and the Alfa Watan sank off Bulgaria's territorial waters after a drone attack.
Dan presents Romania as a reliable ally that has met its defence spending commitments, supported Ukraine and placed its military bases at the alliance's disposal. He says the country faces the full range of Russia's hybrid war against NATO and the EU, including cyberattacks, sabotage, drone and maritime incursions, and information campaigns. Romanian media summarise his pitch as making a stronger American presence more useful strategically and less costly. The new circumstances, he writes, call for a higher level of ambition in the strategic relationship between Romania and the United States.
The Presidency bought a lobbying contract with a US firm in May 2026, announced through a brief statement, with the aim of improving relations with the Trump administration. The agreement caps fees at 565,000 dollars a month and totals about 3 million dollars for an initial six-month term. On 30 June 2026, Eversheds Sutherland (US) LLP received an invoice for 854,000 dollars for calls with representatives of the Trump administration. US law requires the firm to declare its lobbying activity and fees to the Department of Justice, but Cotroceni Palace and CSAT have kept the contract secret and no explanation of its spending has been given. About one month of the term remains, though the agreement could be extended.
HotNews interviewed James Jay Carafano in New York. Carafano, a former military officer who advised Donald Trump during his first campaign, now serves as senior adviser to the Heritage Foundation. He called Dan one of the most perceptive European leaders when it comes to the relationship with the United States, and said the Trump administration is pragmatic and interested in partners who also make an effort. He praised Romania's proactive approach to economic deals, critical minerals and infrastructure such as the port of Constanța. He also noted structural problems, including too many state-owned companies and too much inefficiency, which he said only a stable government can address.
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Romanian President Nicușor Dan has urged Washington to raise its military presence on the Black Sea, citing drone attacks on two vessels near Sulina in mid-October. The same week, a lobbying contract bought by the Presidency drew scrutiny over its cost and secrecy.
AI text based on reports by Libertatea, G4Media.ro, Stirile ProTV and other publishers. Published . How it is made