European Allies Urge U.S. to Deploy F-35s to Romania to Deter Russia
European allies are urging U.S. President Donald Trump to base American F-35 fighter jets in Romania as part of broader security guarantees aimed at deterring Russia and supporting efforts to end the Russian-Ukrainian war.
The Gaze reports this, referring to The Times.
According to the outlet, senior European military officials are in discussions over positioning U.S. aircraft at Romania’s Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base, set to become NATO’s largest air base in Europe, as a deterrent against further Russian aggression.
The facility, which previously served as a hub for U.S. forces during the Iraq war, already hosts NATO air policing missions over the Black Sea.
Earlier this week, Trump ruled out deploying American ground troops to Ukraine but signaled Washington’s readiness to provide “air support” under future security commitments.
Following high-level political talks involving Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders, top military commanders convened in Washington to examine the practicalities of U.S. involvement.
U.S. Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dan Caine met with senior generals from the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Finland, and Italy to discuss how American guarantees might be implemented.
Alongside the proposal for F-35 deployments, European states are also seeking firm assurances on continued U.S. satellite support for GPS and intelligence gathering in Ukraine.
In addition, European officials are pressing for U.S. commitments to supply advanced air defense systems such as Patriot and NASAMS to bolster Ukraine’s defenses, and for authorization of reconnaissance flights over the Black Sea.
While Britain has conducted Rivet Joint surveillance missions since the outset of the war, the Boeing-built aircraft require U.S. approval for operations in the region.
As The Gaze previously informed, Ukraine plans to purchase $100 billion worth of American weapons with European funding in exchange for security guarantees from the US after a possible peaceful settlement with Russia.