Romania offers to share costs of US troops; defence minister disputes 15,000 euro figure

Romania's offer

Romanian President Nicușor Dan confirmed in an interview with the Financial Times, published on Thursday, 12 November, that Romania has offered to pay the United States to keep American troops stationed in the country. He said he had put forward "certain figures" on troops and cost sharing, echoing an earlier initiative by Poland. The Financial Times linked the offer to security concerns in the Black Sea region, where Russian drones have entered the picture, and to plans by the Trump administration to reduce the American military presence in Europe.

Poland's model and the 15,000 figure

In September, Warsaw proposed paying Washington 15,000 dollars a year for each American soldier stationed at a planned base called Fort Trump. Romanian outlets reported a similar figure of 15,000 euros for Romania, but Defence Minister Radu Oprea rejected it. Speaking to Digi24, he said the amount would be somewhat lower, because it is calculated on the cost of living in Romania compared with Poland, and he declined to give details at that stage. He stressed the proposal had been discussed with Polish partners.

“It is an offer that was discussed and seen together with Polish partners, so that the Eastern Flank has solid representation and American presence is consistent.”

US troops and Romanian bases

The Presidential Administration put the current American presence in Romania at 1,172 soldiers, down from a previous contingent of 1,700. Oprea said Romania's proposals would allow additional American soldiers to be housed at existing bases. He also said development of the Mihail Kogălniceanu base could be accelerated, and he named Câmpia Turzii and Deveselu as sites where the American presence matters for Romanian security.

Previous contingent1,700

Current contingent1,172

Previous contingent

1700 troops

Current contingent

1172 troops

Data from the article text

Decision path and Washington's stance

Dan presented the offer to Under Secretary of Defense Elbridge Colby during Colby's visit to Romania and Poland, a few days before the interview. Colby had earlier argued for a "more limited and more concentrated" US presence in Europe, and the Pentagon under Pete Hegseth has repeatedly said it would significantly reduce its footprint on the continent. Oprea said the proposal must go first to Colby, then to Hegseth, possibly to Congress, and finally to a decision by President Donald Trump. He added that his discussion with Colby gave him reasons to be optimistic.

Poland and the permanent base

The United States has about 10,000 troops in Poland, spread across roughly 12 bases, according to the Financial Times. Warsaw is pressing for a permanent base bearing Trump's name and has offered to cover its construction costs. Polish Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said that Hegseth had told him after a meeting in the week of 9 November that things were moving in the right direction, which he read as a Pentagon green light for a permanent US base in Poland.

Equal terms for all allies

Asked at a press conference in Dublin on Thursday evening whether Romania could cover the costs of allied troops as it proposed for Americans, Dan said that foreign soldiers in Romania should be treated alike.

“I think it is fair that any foreign soldier stationed in Romania has similar conditions.”

Dan said Romania's defence budget stands at 2.5% of GDP and should rise progressively to 3.5%, and that the sums involved would be modest against that spending level.