In a recent interview with a news agency, Romania’s Foreign Minister highlighted the nation’s support for the United States amidst rising tensions in the Middle East. Responding to the Trump administration’s appeal for allied cooperation, Romania has opened its military bases for defensive operations aimed at addressing issues with Iran and facilitating the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
“We have agreed to support defensive activities such as air refueling,” stated Oana-Silvia Ţoiu, the interim Foreign Affairs Minister of Romania, during an exclusive discussion at the United Nations. “Our decision stems from the belief that allies must rely on one another.”
While emphasizing Romania’s commitment to collective defense, Ţoiu clarified, “We are not engaging in warfare, nor do we plan to. Our focus is on maintaining common defense and participating in diplomatic efforts to ensure the Strait of Hormuz is reopened.”
These remarks are set against the backdrop of President Donald Trump’s persistent calls for European allies to ramp up their defense budgets and assume a more significant role in global security initiatives, particularly in the Middle East’s maritime security realm.
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The importance of these developments is underscored by imagery from the region: a container ship anchored in the Strait of Hormuz, with a small motorboat passing by, illustrating the critical nature of this strategic maritime passage. (Image credit: Amirhosein Khorgooi/ISNA via AP)
Ţoiu acknowledged growing tensions between Washington and some European allies over support related to the conflict with Iran, but said both sides recognize the need for closer coordination.
“I’m pretty sure that both on the U.S. side and the European side, we do understand that we need to enhance our dialog in order to prevent moments when we create tension in the transatlantic partnership,” she told News Agency. “And I do believe a better dialog ahead of time on all sides leads to better results, specifically on the request of help in terms of the conflict in the Middle East.”
The Romanian foreign minister said Bucharest approved the use of its military bases and infrastructure for defensive operations linked to regional security efforts.
“Romania has approved through Parliament the proposal of the President, the ministry of foreign affairs and the ministry for defense and the prime minister, the use of our military bases and infrastructure for defensive activities, for activities such as air-fuelling, for example, because we are aware of the fact that it is needed that we trust each other,” she said.
“I think we share clear objectives here in Europe, between the U.S. and countries around the world, such as lowering energy prices, such as allowing for fertilizers not to be blocked anymore there.”
Oana-Silvia Toiu, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Romania speaks during emergency Security Council meeting requested by Romania and supported by France after Russian military drone entered Romanian airspace and injuring civilians when exploded at UN Headquarters in New York, NY on June 1, 2026. (Lev Radin/Sipa USA)
Romania, a NATO member bordering Ukraine, has emerged as one of the alliance’s key eastern flank states amid growing concerns over both Russia’s war in Ukraine and instability in the Middle East.
“We do agree with President Trump on the need to increase budgets,” Ţoiu said.
She noted that Romania raised defense spending to 2% of GDP during Trump’s previous term and plans to allocate an average of 3.4% next year through a combination of military procurement and strategic infrastructure investments.
Her remarks came just hours after Romania requested an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday following a Russian drone strike that hit a residential building in the Romanian city of Galați on May 29.
The emergency briefing marked the first time in Romania’s roughly 70-year history at the United Nations that it requested a Security Council session over a direct threat to its national security, according to Romanian officials.
Romanian law enforcement officers work at the site of an explosion in a residential block of flats following a reported drone strike near the border with Ukraine, in Galati, Romania, May 29, 2026. (Inquam Photos/George Calin via Reuters)
Speaking at the Security Council, Ţoiu said a drone carrying explosives violated Romanian airspace for approximately four minutes before crashing into the 10th floor of a residential building, injuring a mother and child.
“We do have the military analysis that shows clearly that it is a Russian-made drone in type of design, type of pieces of equipment, and also the chemical analysis that they have done,” she told News Agency.
Ţoiu said the drone was believed to be part of a larger Russian attack targeting Ukrainian civilian infrastructure near the Danube River.
“We wanted to call on the international community to make sure we collectively state that this is a blatant violation of international law,” she said.
“And irrespective of whether that was the intention or not, the responsibility is very clear. And these reckless escalations need to stop.”
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz meets with Romanian Foreign Minister Oana-Silvia Ţoiu at U.N. headquarters in New York following an emergency Security Council session on a Russian drone strike in Romania, June 1, 2026. (U.S. Mission to the United Nations)
Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya rejected the accusations during the session, calling them “unfounded and biased.”
Nebenzya argued that if a Geran-2 drone had directly hit the building, the damage would have been far more severe, claiming Romanian media footage showed only fire damage rather than complete destruction.
He also called for a “thorough, objective, and depoliticized investigation” involving Russia and suggested the incident could have been a Ukrainian provocation intended to drag NATO deeper into the war.
The U.S. military has been enforcing a naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, even during the ceasefire. (U.S. Central Command)
Ţoiu pushed back against Moscow’s position and questioned how a permanent member of the Security Council can simultaneously act as an aggressor state.
“We do now have a question that’s not just a question on Romania’s side, but the question of the international community of how can a member of the Security Council contribute to its mission there, which is peace and security, while also being an aggressor state,” she said.
“And of course, its veto [ is not currently] used towards peace and security.”
The United States joined more than 50 countries backing Romania in a joint statement condemning the strike.
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz later wrote on X that he met with Ţoiu following “the reckless Russian drone strike on a Romanian apartment building.
“The violence must end before more innocent people suffer,” Waltz wrote.
Ţoiu told News Agency she also held meetings with the U.S. delegation at the United Nations following the emergency session.
NATO leaders participate in a summit in The Hague, Netherlands, on June 25, 2025, where they pledged to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP by 2035 as requested by President Donald Trump. (Handout / Latin America News Agency via Reuters Connect)
“The United States has joined our common statement alongside more than 50 countries in making a clear public message on the attack,” she said.
“We are working with the United States not just through our partnership in NATO, but also strategic partners.”
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