Romania Offers NATO Air Bases as Support for Ukraine, Rules Out Ground Troops

Romania has reiterated its commitment to supporting NATO’s collective defense efforts while firmly ruling out the deployment of its troops on Ukrainian territory. 

The Gaze reports this, referring to Calea Europeana.

Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan said Bucharest is instead prepared to make its military infrastructure, particularly air bases already jointly operated with NATO forces, available to alliance partners as part of security measures aimed at ensuring lasting peace in Ukraine.

Speaking on August 21, Bolojan stressed that Romania’s position has remained consistent throughout discussions on security guarantees for Ukraine. 

“We will not send troops, we will not engage in troop deployments on Ukrainian soil,” he stated. At the same time, he underscored that Romania’s NATO membership obliges it to maintain openness to allied use of its bases.

Romanian air facilities have long served as hubs for joint missions. “Even today, from our airports, aerial patrols are conducted, air policing missions over the Black Sea are underway, and joint military exercises take place,” Bolojan said. “Making our bases available to NATO allies can be Romania’s contribution to ensuring durable peace in Ukraine.”

The Ministry of National Defense reinforced this stance, calling the country’s air infrastructure a “strategic asset” on NATO’s eastern flank. 

It added that Romania remains fully aligned with its allies and will continue to participate in collective decisions on Ukraine in line with international agreements and domestic law.

As The Gaze reported earlier, European leaders press Washington to deploy F-35 fighter jets to Romania under the framework of security guarantees for Kyiv. NATO allies see the deployment as a deterrent against renewed Russian aggression and a vital part of reinforcing the alliance’s presence along the Black Sea frontier.