The US State Department says it is ready to approve the sale of Patriot missile defense systems to Romania. The purchase is a further signal that Bucharest is concerned about the Kremlin's role in the Black Sea area.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
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"The State Department has made a determination approving a possible foreign military sale to Romania for Patriot air defense systems, related support and equipment," the State Department said in a statement on Tuesday.
The prime contractors would be Raytheon Co and Lockheed Martin Corp, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said.
The US Congress now has 30 days to raise objections. This is seen as unlikely as Romania is a NATO partner with important geostrategic access to the Black Sea.
"Romania will use the Patriot missile system to strengthen its homeland defense and deter regional threats," the State Department said. "The proposed sale will increase the defensive capabilities of the Romanian military to guard against aggression and shield the NATO allies who often train and operate within Romania's borders."
The Patriot is a mobile air defense system made by Raytheon and designed to intercept tactical ballistic missiles, low-flying cruise missiles and aircraft.
Romanian President Traian Basescu (2nd L) at the groundbreaking ceremony at Aegis Ashore FacilityImage: picture-alliance/dpa
Moscow's chagrin
In May 2016, the US activated a land-based missile defense station in Romania, part of a larger European shield. The US said the Aegis system is a shield to protect NATO countries from short and medium-range missiles, particularly from the Middle East. Russia sees the station as a security threat.
Romanian officials note that Russian-annexed Crimea is less than 200 miles from its shores and the country shares a long border with Serbia, which has moved closer to the Kremlin, buying Russian warplanes and air defense systems.
Romania's ambassador to the United States, George Maior, said in June that his government sees the Black Sea "as a demarcation line between various threats emerging from the eastern frontier of NATO."
The US is believed to have spent $800 million (775 million euros) on the site. Another phase of the project will be launched in Poland with a groundbreaking ceremony at Redzikowo, near the Baltic Sea. Aegis missiles are to become operational there in 2018.
Trump's NATO debut does little to assure allies
Having shown little love for the alliance during the presidential campaign, all eyes at this week's NATO summit were on President Donald Trump. The president wasted no time before haranguing allies over defense spending.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/E. Dunand
America first!
US President Donald Trump welcomes Montenegro to the military alliance by appearing to shove Prime Minister Dusko Markovic in order to secure a front row berth. Montenegro will formally join NATO next month, although it may already feel pressured to increase its military spending, which currently stands at 1.6 percent of GDP.
Image: picture alliance/AP Photo/NATO TV
Trump berates allies' spending
The president was invited to unveil NATO's new 9/11 memorial. However, instead of using his speech to play up unity, Trump scolded allies for owing "massive amounts of money" to the US and NATO. Members have set a 2 percent of GDP defense spending "guideline," although the contributions are supposed to be voluntary.
Image: picture alliance/abaca/K. Ozer
Leaders struggle to keep a straight face
Trump's 10-minute tirade on defense spending appeared to be greeted with snickering and eye-rolling. An illustration of America's new standing in the world?
Image: Reuters/J. Ernst
Slamming the brakes on German car sales
Leaked comments obtained by German media reveal that Trump told European leaders that Germany was being unfair with its trade arrangements and decried its surplus. "The Germans are bad, very bad," German weekly Der Spiegel quoted Trump as saying. "Look at the millions of cars they sell in the US. Terrible! We'll stop that."
Image: picture alliance/dpa/K. Nietfeld
Handshake diplomacy
Trump met with France's newly elected president, Emmanuel Macron, at the US ambassador's Brussels residence. As a life-long businessman, Trump's handshakes are seen as one of his key power moves. Palms dried and jaws clenched, Macron didn't appear prepared to grant him that victory as the leaders embarked on what's been coined "the world's longest handshake."
Image: picture alliance/dpa/K.Zihnioglu
Not-so-special relationship
British Prime Minister Theresa May is reported to have voiced her anger and dismay after US officials leaked details over the identity of the Manchester suicide bomber. The leak led British authorities to halt intelligence-sharing with the US for around 24 hours. The breech also comes just weeks after Trump himself divulged secret intelligence to senior Russian emissaries.
Image: Getty Images/J.Tallis
Glaring omission
If Trump had sought to assure allies of his commitment to NATO, neglecting to affirm Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty - which stipulates that members treat an attack against one ally as an attack against all - wouldn't have helped. Perhaps surprisingly, however, the president did mention the Russian threat on NATO's eastern border.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/E. Dunand
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Meeting NATO targets
Romania's annual budget for the first time provides for a defense share equal to 2 percent of GDP. The adoption of the annual budget makes Romania the sixth NATO member to meet the 2 percent target, a bone of contention between US President Donald Trump and other NATO member states.
Trump has urged NATO's members to meet the 2-percent target.
Romania - already uneasy over Russian activities in the Black Sea - has the fourth largest NATO contingent in Afghanistan and has supported international missions in Iraq, the Balkans and other UN engagements with a total of more than 30,000 personnel over the past 15 years.
