This work, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and NATO Allies Conduct a Mass Casualty Exercise in Romania, by SPC Rayonne Bissant, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright military on Wednesday welcomed a new brigade in Romania to continue the mission aimed at deterring potential Russian aggression along NATO’s eastern flank 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) replaced the 3rd Brigade 10th Mountain Division during a transfer ceremony at Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base Army Garrison Black Sea umbrella of installations for a rotational mission near the coastal city of Constanta where they will train with NATO allies and partners and work in other areas along the bloc’s eastern flank Both the incoming and outgoing brigades are “transforming in contact” units considered the most modern and dynamic in the service soldiers from both units gathered on a grassy parade field under overcast skies vowed to strengthen partnerships in the region and “ensure the security and stability of this vital mission.” Romania and neighboring Poland have become the focal point of NATO deterrence is located just over 60 miles from the Odesa region of Ukraine The base is undergoing a multibillion-dollar expansion that will make it one of the largest in Europe In addition to military facilities for special operations and ground forces pharmacies and a hospital for service members and their families For travel to the United States on a temporary basis For foreign citizens who want to live permanently in the United States The Visa Waiver Program (VWP) allows citizens of participating countries* to travel to the United States without a visa for stays of 90 days or less Outside of Romania: +40-21-270-6000 (press 8) U.S.-Romania Cooperation on Small Modular Reactors Learn more about quality higher-education opportunities in the U.S that you will not find anywhere else in the world The American Corner program promotes understanding and cooperation between the U.S It is an honor to be here today to recognize the continuity of security partnership of the United States and NATO to deter Russian aggression along the eastern flank of the alliance the 82nd Airborne Division has worked hand-in-hand in training exercises with the Romanian Land Forces and our NATO partners resulting in the Romanian 2nd Infantry Division successfully serving as the higher headquarters in Exercise Combined Resolve 2024 Allow me to convey my personal congratulations to Major General Work and the entire 82nd Airborne Division for its tremendous work and dedication to regional security over the last nine months Your contributions to training with the Romanian Land Forces and neighboring allies demonstrate the lethality and dedication of the NATO alliance Thank you to you and your team for all you have done and the entire 1st Cavalry Division will undoubtedly continue to enhance interoperability and strengthen ties between Romanian The United States demonstrates its enduring commitment to regional security and to NATO by continuing to send its most treasured resource – American Soldiers Russia’s unprovoked and unjust war against Ukraine and its continued aggression require a unified NATO response these troops remain ready to fight to safeguard every inch of NATO territory Romania continues to display incredible commitment to the NATO alliance in its regional leadership Notable examples include the establishment of a NATO division and corps headquarters in Romania and Romania’s strong focus on modernizing the Romanian Land Forces These actions are critical for the continued success of the NATO alliance and our interoperability I am certain that 1st Cavalry Division will learn an incredible amount from their Romanian counterparts over the coming months as they build upon the great partnership between the Romanian Land Forces and the 82nd Airborne Division and sacrifices to enhance security in Romania and along the eastern flank We use cookies to make our website work better and improve your experience but would take votes from another right-wing candidate) apparently had no bearing on the case But now, the elections will continue without Georgescu, who was a clear favorite at over 40 percent in some polling in the first round alone Speaking up against such blatantly antidemocratic actions is well and good But the Trump administration should go further by using this opportunity to draw a firm line in the sand by announcing it is pulling troops and support from Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base Most Americans have likely not heard of this base But it has played a major geopolitical role The base is being expanded and will soon be NATO’s largest air base with a contingent of 10,000 troops; it is currently already home to over 4,000 American soldiers made it prime real estate for the liberal democrats who wished to expand America’s influence in the 2000s when the Bush administration invited Romania into NATO Pulling American support for the base would not be out of line with the administration’s 21st-century priorities; indeed Trump is clearly interested in realigning American foreign policy with its national interest and spending American dollars on American citizens instead of on needless adventures abroad would make clear that things have changed permanently Romania still seems to think that America needs that base which may explain why it felt confident in defying the Trump administration’s wishes on Georgescu invited Romania into NATO and believed America’s goal should be to spread democracy as far as possible this president clearly views the world differently which features American possessions like Guam and Hawaii it is not close to any American land mass whatsoever The base is also expensive. Housing thousands of troops and their families is no cheap endeavor. Past expansions have cost a fortune. Romania’s government claims it will cover the cost of the current expansion, estimated to cost over $2.7 billion with work ongoing until 2040 but it is hard to imagine the government does not hope to recoup the cost somehow down the line it is genuinely difficult to imagine what benefit the United States gains from the 57th Air Base which is currently looking across the sea toward a Russia that has expanded its Black Sea coastline by conquering much of southern Ukraine and turned the Sea of Azov into a Russian lake But its importance to Romania does not make it important to the United States Even if the Romanian establishment allows some sort of genuinely right-wing candidate to run—and perhaps if they’re feeling particularly democratic to win—it will not change America’s geographic national interests with its aid freeze and the Department of Government Efficiency’s recommended spending cuts is clearly interested in cutting waste and readjusting American foreign policy It should start by taking a harder look at our military presence in Romania Constantini is a political and foreign policy analyst His work frequently appears in domestic and international publications Your support helps us continue our mission of providing thoughtful we can maintain our commitment to principled reporting on the issues that matter most 2024A Eurofighter Typhoon with the British Royal Air Force takes off at the Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base in Romania Romania — The Romanian government has begun a multibillion-euro expansion and modernization project at one of its air bases near Ukraine where new military equipment will be stored Romanian Defence Minister Angel Tîlvăr announced the move June 11 during a ceremony at the Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base located less than 200 kilometers (124 miles) from the Ukrainian border The project to extend the military base, which has housed U.S. capabilities and forces since 1999, was approved prior to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 “The reason why Romania decided to extend our capabilities here is the result of when Russia invaded Georgia in 2008 and later on in 2014 in Crimea [when Russia annexed the peninsula] Our plans have been approved since 2018 for this,” Romanian Air Force Col told Defense News during the NATO-led exercise Ramstein Legacy held here The work will in part involve the construction of a new runway and additional hangars to protect existing and forthcoming military assets purchased by the Eastern European country The official estimated the cost associated with the expansion will come to €2.5 billion (U.S Romania has several ongoing acquisition programs, primarily focused on short-range and very-short-range air defense systems, on which it plans to spend up to $2.1 billion A Finnish F/A-18 Hornet is seen on static display at the Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base in Romania. (Elisabeth Gosselin-Malo/Staff)It also received two additional Patriot batteries last year, now totaling four, and is partaking in the joint procurement of up to 1,000 Patriot PAC-2 GEM-T missiles under the European Sky Shield Initiative. The air base’s location has proved highly strategic in recent years, both for Romania and its NATO allies. As an example, the Romanian officer cited the base’s value during the Iraq war, as it was used by allies “to project force outside of their territories and over long distances.” Romanian media reported the modernization effort involves the construction of a military installation similarly sized to that of Ramstein Air Base in Germany, although the official did not confirm this aspiration. Given its direct access to the Black Sea and close proximity to Russian territory, the air base has hosted several NATO-run Enhanced Air Policing missions, including this year’s edition, which welcomed the first-ever deployment of Finnish F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets. Elisabeth Gosselin-Malo is a Europe correspondent for Defense News. She covers a wide range of topics related to military procurement and international security, and specializes in reporting on the aviation sector. She is based in Milan, Italy. Facebook pageTwitter feedRSS feedDefense News © 2025 and Romanian military leaders unveiled an airfield upgrade this week at Romania’s Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base that will spur growth at what may become one of NATO’s largest military installations in Europe will allow fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters to unload equipment fit for a wide range of missions Army Corps of Engineers said in a statement Thursday The expansion comes amid growing security concerns in the Black Sea region prompted by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 personnel as “MK,” the base is less than 100 miles from Ukraine American forces have operated at Mihail Kogalniceanu since 1999 the base formally became a permanent forward operating site the Army stood up its Black Sea garrison there Army Corps of Engineers is involved with various projects at the base “This is all part of a larger construction program we’re proud to be managing that overall includes an investment of more than $100 million in projects,” Col the Corps of Engineers’ Europe district commander Romania announced an estimated $2.7 billion expansion and modernization project at the base that includes construction of a new runway a guard tower and additional hangars to house existing and future equipment The expansion is expected to allow the base to support about 10,000 NATO personnel and their families over 7,000 acres of land A squadron of Romanian F-16 fighter jets recently bought from Norway as well as MQ-9 Reaper drones were expected to arrive at the base soon aircraft maintained their course without incident and became the first American bombers ever to operate at the installation Air Forces Europe and Africa said at the time The B-52s came from the 2nd Bomb Wing at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana and were in Europe in connection with the Air Force’s ongoing bomber task force missions which involve short-term deployments to the Continent Russia has denounced NATO’s plans at Mihail Kogalniceanu calling the expansion proof of the alliance’s “unrestrained militarization of Eastern Europe and the Black Sea region.” The chief of staff of NATO’s Allied Air Command said in January that the work shows countries in the bloc “cooperating and standing shoulder to shoulder” to carry out their collective defense mission This work, Forged in Tradition: Soldiers Take on the Spur Ride, by PFC Carlos Marquez, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright This work, Historic Display of U.S. Air Force B-52H Stratofortress Strengthens NATO Ties, by SFC Flor Gonzalez, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright Romanian Business News - ACTMedia :: Services|About us|Contact| RSS  The Ministry of National Defence (MApN) rejects the speculations on the process of expansion and modernization of the 57th Air Base "Captain Aviator Constantin Cantacuzino" at Mihail Kogalniceanu launched in the Romanian and international public space through which "manipulative interpretations and scenarios not in line with reality" are being spread."The investments planned for the modernization and expansion of this military base of the Romanian Army will result in the first complete and complex element of airport infrastructure built by Romania after 1990 aimed at significantly improving the operational and training capabilities of the Romanian and Allied Air Forces in view of strengthening the security pole on the Eastern Flank of the Alliance The manipulations in the public space on this topic are in line with the disinformation and propaganda campaigns with which the Russian Federation supports its hybrid attacks against allied countries," MApN said on Thursday.According to the cited source NATO membership ensures the freedom and prosperity of Romanians in a democratic society and Romania has never had stronger guarantees for national sovereignty and security."NATO operates as an instrument to amplify and protect the sovereignty of each of its members not only in the field of defence and security All developments that concern the boosting of Romania's deterrence and defense capabilities including those that concern Allied forces and capabilities deployed on the national territory as part of the measures to strengthen the Eastern Flank are either related to the ability of Romania's armed forces to act interoperably with NATO or in response to concrete developments in the security situation in the region," the Romanian ministry points out.MApN maintains that "the reality that the Russian propaganda and propaganda vectors in the Romanian and Euro-Atlantic public space are trying to cover up through disinformation and manipulation is that the Russian Federation has moved ever more aggressively away from the spirit of partnership with the North Atlantic community a consultation body in which Russia was treated by the allies from equal and principled positions.""In accordance with Soviet traditions the Kremlin aggressor denounces imaginary aggressions reviving the myth of the besieged city with the means of the information society," the Romanian ministry adds.MApN recalls Russia's military incursions in the region and the fact that Russia "militarized" the Black Sea invaded Ukraine and illegally annexed Crimea in 2014 and since 2022 it is engaged in an illegal war of aggression against a sovereign neighbour."The brutal war Russia is waging against Ukraine is just one dimension of Russia's assault on the democratic and free world the Russian Federation is engaged in a persistent set of hybrid actions against NATO and EU member countries and other states in the Black Sea region particularly through energy and economic instruments but also with hybrid actions," the Romanian ministry said.It is against this backdrop that all the measures taken by Romania and its allies in the Black Sea region to strengthen the defence and deterrence posture of any aggression by Russia against allied territory must be understood."All these measures were of an exclusively defensive nature being decided and implemented in a transparent manner and directly proportionate to the level of threat posed by Russia's aggressive actions," the ministry added.Thus the presence of allied military personnel in the 57th Air Base at Mihail Kogalniceanu in Cincu and in other command and training facilities on Romanian territory represents "both a practical normality in the context of Romania's NATO membership and a direct expression of the allies' solidarity in the face of threats to regional peace and security generated by the aggressive actions of the Russian Federation".MApN details that the investments in the expansion and modernization of the infrastructure of the 57th Air Base in Mihail Kogalniceanu were established by a Romanian Government decision in 2019 The duration of the modernization works is phased over 20 years with the total investment estimated at over 12 billion RON.The Romanian base that the Government is modernizing at Mihail Kogalniceanu will be endowed with a new runway designed with its own airport movement areas platforms for aircraft operation and beaconing and radio navigation systems but will also have administrative and social facilities perimeter enclosure road and internal roads.Upon completion the Mihail Kogalniceanu air base will be one of the most modern air bases in the allied common space In addition to its role as a structure of the Romanian Air Force the new infrastructure will also serve as a nodal point of reference for the transit and training needs of the allied forces MApN points out."Attempts to present concrete measures to strengthen Romania's and NATO's defence capabilities as acts of national treason are part of the pattern of disinformation campaigns carried out in the Romanian public space by state actors with an agenda contrary to Romania's sovereignty and against NATO which are aimed at inducing a climate of panic and undermining confidence in the ability of the institutions of the national security system to fulfill their constitutional missions and discrediting the actions to strengthen the defence and response capacity in the face of any form of aggression taken at national level or together with NATO allies," the Romanian Defence Ministry further affirms  (Photo:https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=559149743338007&set=pcb.559150563337925) © ACTMedia - Romanian Business News | Sitemap | Search | Terms and Conditions | Privacy Policy Developed by Codecraftsman Air Force B-52H Stratofortress aircraft assigned to the 2nd Bomb Wing While flying in international airspace and in accordance with international law B-52 aircraft were intercepted by two Russian aircraft over the Barents Sea at approximately 8 a.m aircraft did not change course due to the intercept and continued along their scheduled flight plan without incident allowing the B-52s to perform their pre-planned mission which included integration alongside NATO fighter aircraft before landing at Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base The B-52s flew in formation with fighter jets from Romania Finland as they arrived at Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base the they will operate as the 20th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron and will integrate with NATO Allies and other international partners to synchronize capabilities and assure security commitments across the U.S European Command area of responsibility.  strategic bomber aircraft have operated out of Romania “In today’s global environment it is vital that we be postured to deliver a range of sustainable capability from great distances This iteration of Bomber Task Force offers an excellent opportunity to refine our agile combat employment tactics “Through collaborative efforts with our Allies enables our forces to combat current and future threats.” routinely demonstrates its commitment to NATO Allies and partners through BTF missions USAFE-AFAFRICA enables dynamic force employment in the European theater providing strategic predictability and assurance for Allies and partners while contributing to deterrence by introducing greater operational unpredictability for potential adversaries is dedicated to work alongside our NATO Allies and partners along the Eastern Flank to ensure we have the combined skills and coordination capabilities necessary to maintain regional safety and well prepared to integrate with host-nation Allies and partners to deter threats and defend the Alliance Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa Public Affairs office atusafepao.pao@us.af.mil or World Subscribers only Romania enters government crisis amid election World Subscribers only In Zurich the leaf blower war or the anti-'woke' backlash World Subscribers only Germany's Friedrich Merz is embracing pragmatism World Subscribers only Founder of Sant'Egidio community fears next pope could undo Francis's legacy Opinion Subscribers only 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trucks plowed through Dobruja the vast plateau overlooking the Black Sea in eastern Romania In the middle of this dry and not very fertile landscape terracing and tracing out what will be a runway here "What do you think?" asked Captain Engineer Aurel Bocai on Thursday as he proudly toured the gigantic construction site which had only begun a month and a half earlier he is the project manager for what he described quite simply as "the biggest construction project undertaken by the Romanian army since the 1990s." If the 250 machines deployed six days a week continue at this pace NATO aircraft could be landing and taking off as early as 2027 on what will be the second runway of the Mihail Koğalniceanu Air Base this military base located 30 kilometers from the Black Sea has had a new lease of life since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine You have 87.8% of this article left to read Lecture du Monde en cours sur un autre appareil Vous pouvez lire Le Monde sur un seul appareil à la fois Ce message s’affichera sur l’autre appareil Parce qu’une autre personne (ou vous) est en train de lire Le Monde avec ce compte sur un autre appareil Vous ne pouvez lire Le Monde que sur un seul appareil à la fois (ordinateur En cliquant sur « Continuer à lire ici » et en vous assurant que vous êtes la seule personne à consulter Le Monde avec ce compte Que se passera-t-il si vous continuez à lire ici Ce dernier restera connecté avec ce compte Vous pouvez vous connecter avec votre compte sur autant d’appareils que vous le souhaitez mais en les utilisant à des moments différents Nous vous conseillons de modifier votre mot de passe Votre abonnement n’autorise pas la lecture de cet article merci de contacter notre service commercial The TimesIn a field outside a village in eastern Romania diggers rummage through the earth and cement mixers pour foundations Work is under way to transform a Communist-era airfield into the largest Nato military base in Europe Romania’s enlargement of the Mihail Kogalniceanu (MK) airbase only 60 miles from the border with Ukraine has been denounced by Russia as an egregious example of Nato aggression the more likely it is to be among the first targets for retaliatory strikes,” warned Andrei Klimov a Russian senator and vice-president of the committee for foreign affairs Troops at the Mihail Kogalniceanu airbase mark the arrival of a a B-52 bomberROBERT GHEMENT/EPARomania’s desire to bolster its defences can be understood Russian drones and missiles aimed at Ukrainian This work, Tuning Into the Future: U.S. Soldiers Master New Radio Technology, by PFC Jason Sessions, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright Stay in the know with The National Interest newsletter © Copyright 2025 Center for the National Interest We use cookies to enhance your browsing experience We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below The cookies that are categorised as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site We also use third-party cookies that help us analyse how you use this website and provide the content and advertisements that are relevant to you These cookies will only be stored in your browser with your prior consent You can choose to enable or disable some or all of these cookies but disabling some of them may affect your browsing experience Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors Performance cookies are used to understand and analyse the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customised advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyse the effectiveness of the ad campaigns This work, Battlefield Blood Transfusion Training at MK Airbase, by SSG Larry Barnhill, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright An air base roughly 12 miles from the Black Sea coast and 180 miles from the key port city of Odesa in southern Ukraine is poised to become NATO's largest base in Europe A $2.7 billion project began earlier this year to transform the Mihail Kogălniceanu air base in Romania told the outlet that the expanded facility would require "maintenance hangars "Everything that is needed to support the operation and missions of a base of this size," he said A squadron of Romanian F-16 fighter jets recently bought from Norway, as well as MQ-9 Reaper drones, were expected to arrive at the base soon, the BBC reported Sunday NATO announced earlier this month that seven Finnish Air Force F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets had also landed at the base on June 3 to carry out "training and real-world sorties along the eastern flank on the Black Sea coast." "For two months the Finnish jets are joining a Royal Air Force Typhoon detachment and will be doing quick-reaction alert duty and flying alongside them and Romanian F-16s collectively securing NATO airspace and assuring the Romanian population," Lt Cl Rami Lindström the first commander of the Finnish detachment at the base The US presence at the base is also stepping up adding that there was "a lot more infrastructure previously told Euro News: "The Mihail Kogălniceanu base will become the most important permanent NATO military structure in the immediate vicinity of the conflict in southern Ukraine." "Let's not imagine that this conflict will end this year in 2025 or in 2026," he said but the NATO suicide club drags ordinary civilians into such adventures that can end very badly for their families and children," he said Russian President Vladimir Putin justified his full-scale invasion of Ukraine in part by saying that NATO had been aggressively expanding ever closer toward Russia over the past few decades and he has long warned against further expansion NATO has continued to creep further eastward with Finland joining NATO in April of last year and Sweden joining this past March Putin this week issued fresh threats to the West vowing to go "until the end" in the war with Ukraine would mean "the end of the 1,000-year history of the Russian state," adding: "Isn't it better to go all the way Air Force long-range bombers that had a close encounter over the weekend with Russian fighters over the Barents Sea landed at an allied base near the Black Sea hours later The arrival of the B-52H Stratofortress bombers at Romania’s Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base on Sunday marks the first time U.S strategic bombers have operated from the installation Air Forces Europe and Africa said the same day serves as the main operational hub for the U.S It is undergoing a multibillion-dollar expansion by NATO that will make it larger than even Ramstein Air Base in Germany the bombers were intercepted more than 1,000 miles away by Russian fighters over the Barents Sea on a preplanned mission that involved coordination with NATO fighter planes aircraft did not change course due to the intercept and continued along their scheduled flight plan without incident,” USAFE said assigned to the 2nd Bomb Wing at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana are in Europe in connection with the Air Force’s ongoing bomber task force missions “Through collaborative efforts with our allies enables our forces to combat current and future threats,” USAFE-AF commander Gen encounters between allied and Russian aircraft are relatively commonplace intercepts occur over international airspace without incident allies on occasion have accused Russia of crossing into their airspace Finland said four Russian military aircraft crossed into its airspace for several minutes Other aerial confrontations have risked potential escalation between Russia and the U.S such as when a Russian fighter in March 2023 collided with a U.S forcing the unmanned aircraft to crash into international waters This work, PTSD: The Invisible Wounds of War, by SSG Larry Barnhill, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page This work, Transfer of Authority at Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base, by SPC Andrew Mendoza, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright Romania (AP) — NATO members carried out naval drills Wednesday in the Black Sea region in one of the largest Romania-led exercises of the year as European allies mull the long-term reliability of security guarantees from the United States under President Donald Trump come as European allies race to ramp up defense spending as relations with the U.S as he has sought closer ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin while pushing to end the war in Ukraine comprise about 2,300 military personnel from 12 nations — including the U.S They aim to strengthen NATO’s readiness against “highly complex scenarios” such as coordinated maritime and aerial attacks or hybrid threats A French-made Atlantique 2 maritime patrol aircraft took off from Romania’s eastern Mihail Kogalniceanu air base Wednesday joined by a journalist from The Associated Press on a mission searching for drifting mines over the Black Sea waters of Romania and Bulgaria — but none were found “These drifting mines could indeed represent a potential danger to navigation,” said French aircraft commander Lieutenant Tomy whose surname was withheld by the French military “The goal of an exercise like Sea Shield is for everyone to be able to speak the same language coordinate to respond to different types of threats an anti-submarine tracking exercise to detect a “fictitious underwater threat” was carried out and also involved multinational naval forces “It’s also about showing that NATO is present on the eastern borders of Europe and is developing integration and interoperability between its member countries,” Lieutenant Tomy added Wednesday’s combat exercises came a day after Romania’s Ministry of National Defense denied news reports is considering withdrawing about 10,000 American troops from eastern Europe “Romania has not received any official information .. from the United States,” the ministry said It added that several exercises are planned in Romania this year involving U.S After Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb NATO bolstered its presence on Europe’s eastern flank by sending additional multinational battlegroups to Romania Many fear that such a withdrawal would embolden Russia which NATO leaders said at a summit last year “remains the most significant and direct threat to Allies’ security.” NATO allies should commit to spending at least 5% of their gross domestic product on defense while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said U.S Almost a third of the military alliance's members still don’t meet NATO’s target of at least 2% Romania has played an increasingly prominent role in the alliance It has donated a Patriot missile system to Ukraine and opened an international training hub for F-16 jet pilots from allied countries A crew member of a French Navy Atlantique-2 submarine hunter airplane observes the sea during a NATO military exercise and sea mines detection mission above the Black Sea after taking off from the Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base Crew members of a French Navy Atlantique-2 submarine hunter airplane man surveillance equipment during a NATO military exercise and sea mines detection mission above the Black Sea A crew member of a French Navy Atlantique-2 submarine hunter naval airplane observes the sea during a NATO military exercise and sea mines detection mission above the Black Sea Crew members look at a French Navy Atlantique-2 submarine hunter airplane after a NATO military exercise and sea mines detection mission above the Black Sea Technical personnel inspect a French Navy Atlantique-2 submarine hunter airplane after a NATO military exercise and sea mines detection mission above the Black Sea has the opportunity to do that in Tuesday's face-to-face Oval Office meeting The Trump administration sided with the Biden administration in asking a judge to toss out a lawsuit against telehealth access to the abortion medication mifepristone effectively kicking the issue down the road Another judge has ordered the Trump administration to admit some 12,000 refugees And the White House says Harvard University will receive no new grants The letter to Harvard’s president escalates Trump’s targeting of the Ivy League school His administration also is pushing to strip the school of its tax-exempt status All labels that Trump or his loyalists have used to describe media coverage of his administration’s deportation of the asylum-seeker in Maryland to a Salvadoran prison With media covering Abrego Garcia’s removal as a test case about the absence of due process the White House has attacked the man’s character and said he shouldn’t be allowed to stay dean of Hofstra University’s communication school “The song is the same,” said former CNN Washington bureau chief Frank Sesno ▶ Read more about media coverage of the White House Trump International Golf Links Scotland will stage the Scottish Championship from Aug 7-10 after being added to the 2025 schedule by the tour on Tuesday The course also will return as a seniors tour host Trump Organization vice president Eric Trump called these back-to-back events a “significant milestone.” The course has a panoramic view of offshore wind turbines that Trump has criticized as “unsightly” view-spoilers for his luxury guests These Oval Office meetings have been challenging for world leaders Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was met by Trump with anger We saw what he did with Zelenskyy,” said Robert Bothwell a professor of Canadian history and international relations at the University of Toronto “He would sure as hell try to do the same with Carney Carney said ahead of Tuesday’s Oval Office encounter that he was elected specifically to “stand up” to the U.S and that he expected they’ll have “difficult” but “constructive” conversations at their White House lunch According to preliminary plans shared with The Associated Press the coalition’s messaging will include paid advertising press interviews and on-the-ground events with small business leaders veterans and the faith community ahead of key elections Republican Terry Holt and Democrat Andrew Bates The nonprofit with a hybrid political action committee won’t have to publicly disclose all its funding sources Donald Trump put the best-performing economy in the world on a crash course toward recession Trump’s tariffs — the biggest middle class tax hike in modern history — are making everyday prices skyrocket and wreaking havoc for businesses large and small,” Holt and Bates said in a joint statement “Next up are grossly inflationary tax cuts for the wealthy that will only saddle future generations with staggering debt.” ▶ Read more about the Cost Coalition Trump hosted a closed-door “Crypto & AI Innovators Dinner” fundraiser sponsored by his MAGA Inc super PAC at his golf club outside Washington Monday night An invitation to the event that circulated online instructed invitees to pay $1.5 million per person to attend The White House did not provide a list of attendees The super PAC eventually will be required to list donors in its regular public disclosures but whether the public will ever know who bought their way into the meme coin dinner with the president is unclear Unlike political donations that must be publicly reported there’s no disclosure requirement for meme coin buyers Wall Street is pointing toward losses Tuesday as the Federal Reserve navigates the opposing challenges of potential inflation and a softening employment landscape Dow Jones Industrial Average and Nasdaq all retreated in early trading The Fed is expected to hold its benchmark interest rate steady as Trump’s tariffs raise concerns that inflation could surge again After enormous sell-offs with the market roiling from back-and-forth tariff announcements from the White House Wall Street had been on a nine-day winning streak but that momentum lost steam Monday as more U.S corporations said there’s too much uncertainty to predict future revenues ▶ Read more about today’s financial market developments Congress is deep into drafting Trump’s big bill of tax breaks spending cuts and beefed-up funding to halt migrants but it’s “bumpy,” one Republican chairman says with much work ahead to meet House Speaker Mike Johnson’s goal of passing the package out of his chamber by Memorial Day the tax cuts portion is still a work in progress food stamps and other mainstay government programs have made progress on parts that would increase spending adding some $350 billion to the Pentagon and Homeland Security including money for the U.S-Mexico border wall some 11 committees in the House are compiling their bills the different pieces of legislation will be rolled together at the Budget Committee into what Trump calls “one big ▶ Read more about the Trump administration’s spending bill Harvard University will receive no new federal grants until it meets a series of demands from Trump’s administration The action was laid out in a letter to Harvard’s president and amounts to a major escalation of Trump’s battle with the Ivy League school The administration previously froze $2.2 billion in federal grants to Harvard and Trump is pushing to strip the school of its tax-exempt status Harvard has pushed back on the administration’s demands setting up a closely watched clash in Trump’s attempt to force change at universities that he says have become hotbeds of liberalism and antisemitism an Education Department official said Harvard will receive no new federal grants until it “demonstrates responsible management of the university” and satisfies federal demands on a range of subjects The ban applies to federal research grants and not to federal financial aid that helps students cover college tuition and fees ▶ Read more about the clash between Harvard and Trump A judge on Monday ordered the Trump administration to admit some 12,000 refugees into the United States under a court order partially blocking the president’s efforts to suspend the nation’s refugee admissions program District Judge Jamal Whitehead followed arguments from the Justice Department and refugee resettlement agencies over how to interpret a federal appeals court ruling that significantly narrowed an earlier decision from Whitehead natural disaster or persecution — a process that often takes years and involves significant vetting can seek permission to remain because they fear persecution in their home country President Donald Trump issued an executive order suspending the program ▶ Read more about the judge’s order Even as the Bureau of Prisons struggles with short staffing chronic violence and crumbling infrastructure at its current facilities Trump is counting on the agency to fulfill his vision of rebooting the infamously inescapable prison known in movies and pop culture as “The Rock.” People tour the main cell house on Alcatraz Island in San Francisco as the historic island prison was reopened to visitors after being closed since Dec Trump declared in a social media post Sunday that a “substantially enlarged and rebuilt” Alcatraz will house the nation’s “most ruthless and violent Offenders.” It will “serve as a symbol of Law Newly appointed Bureau of Prisons Director William K Marshall III said Monday that the agency “will vigorously pursue all avenues to support and implement the President’s agenda” and that he has ordered “an immediate assessment to determine our needs and the next steps.” We look forward to restoring this powerful symbol of law and justice,” Marshall said in a statement “We will be actively working with our law enforcement and other federal partners to reinstate this very important mission.” ▶ Read more about Trump’s vow to reopen Alcatraz Trump and Carney will meet in the Oval Office and have lunch Carney has stressed that he was elected to specifically “stand up” to the U.S president and that Canada is “in a once-in-a-lifetime crisis.” Carney said he expects “difficult” but “constructive” conversations with his U.S Trump has shattered a decades-old alliance by saying he wants to make Canada the 51st U.S state and levying steep tariffs against an essential partner in the manufacturing of autos and the supply of oil The outrage provoked by Trump enabled Carney’s Liberal Party to score a stunning comeback victory last month as the ongoing trade war and attacks on Canadian sovereignty have outraged voters Trump told reporters on Monday that he wasn’t quite sure why Carney was visiting “I’m not sure what he wants to see me about,” Trump said ▶ Read more about Carney’s visit to the White House is greeted by Canadian Ambassador to the U.S Heusser after he disembarks a government plane Monday President Donald Trump holds a proclamation on National Hurricane Preparedness week in the Oval Office of the White House This work, U.S. Army Military Police and Firefighters Collaborate for Active Shooter Training, by SGT Nolan Brewer, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright The Ministry of Defense of Romania announced on Monday that the American B-52 Stratofortress strategic bombers landed on the territory of the country for the first time as part of the Bomber Task Force Europe operation "Allies and partner countries use every opportunity to train together increase readiness and promote peace and security in the European region," the country's defense ministry said in the statement As noted in the The United States Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA) The strategic bombers arrived in Romania on Sunday which is home to the 57th Air Force Base of the Romanian Air Force The base has also been used by the US Air Force since 1999 It is noted that the bombers will perform tasks as part of the 20th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron together with NATO allies and other partners It is reported that "while flying in international airspace the U.S B-52 aircraft were intercepted by two russian aircraft over the Barents Sea" allowing the B-52s to perform their pre-planned mission which included integration alongside NATO fighter aircraft before landing at Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base," the statement said development director of Defense Express media and consulting company stated that the arrival of US B-52 strategic bombers in Romania signaled Washington's readiness to handle security issues in the region "Stationing US B-52 bombers in Romania is a historic move. It is especially important for Romania, which is becoming a crucial part of NATO's eastern defenses and ensuring security in the region's airspace," Valerii Riabykh shared his opinion on Espreso TV Ukrainian expert noted that B-52 bombers can strike targets in russia from thousands of kilometers away "The presence of B-52 bombers in Romania shows the US is ready to take on strategic tasks in the region especially given the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian war Their deployment might suggest to Russia that the US still has strong capabilities The range of these bombers is enough to threaten targets in Russia from several thousand kilometers away," he added As Defense Express purported, US B-52s Flew Over Northern Finland for the First Time This work, King of Battle gets a lift at Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base, by SPC Aiden OMarra, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright The sudden placing under judicial supervision of Lieutenant General Cătălin Ștefăniță Zisu the commander of the Joint Logistics Command of the Romanian Army accused of abuse of office related to fabricated works at the Ghencea Military Cemetery opens the door to the bizarre things going on concerning works provided for the Army the biggest oddity comes from a different direction – that of ​the Army’s Intelligence – the General Directorate for Defense Intelligence (DGIA): a security breach in the Romanian military system (and that of the allies!) which also reveals the relations of Romania’s military sector with the adversary Russia And which can serve as an explanation for the shift and sympathies towards the Kremlin of that part of the Romanian establishment responsible for the rise of Călin Georgescu – who declared himself an opponent of NATO the European Union and Romania’s transatlantic relations to the advantage of the Putin regime And this is because the tender for the construction of the NATO Base in Kogălniceanu (according to the secret – right – plans) was won by a consortium including a Russian company and a close associate of Vladimir Putin And it received a favorable authorization from the Army secret service The contract received the security clearance – meaning that it is OK for the Russian company to build the NATO base „The Russian Federation represents the most significant and direct threat to the security of the Allies and to peace and stability in the Euro-Atlantic area It seeks to establish spheres of influence and direct control through coercion cyber and hybrid means against us and our partners.” The contract concerning the Kogălniceanu NATO base How the Russians received the security clearance from the Romanians to build the NATO base Opposition from NATO allies – signals sent through all channels USSR walks: the calmness of Romanian authorities who see no problem here the Romanian government approved an investment of over RON 12 billion (including VAT) at the 57th Air Base in the 888 Mihail Kogălniceanu barracks In the project substantiation report it is stated that the financing of the objective is done from the state budget through the budget of the Ministry of National Defense The RON 12 billion are phased over the next 20 years offered a first contract from the 12 billion-project through a simplified and classified procedure for „Engineering services and execution works for a contract classified as service secret for the infrastructure of the 57th Air Base Mihail Kogălniceanu” the Ministry of Defense announced that the works in this contract would be continued with those in the second phase The works in the next phase would amount to over RON 700 million The Ministry received 10 tender offers from 6 companies and 4 consortia only 7 were validated by the institution’s evaluation committee The validated bidders were the consortia Aduro Impex-Strabag-Bog’Art Electrogrup-Makyol Inșaat and Porr Construct-Rizzani de Eccher-ICM after evaluating the offers remaining in the competition the Ministry of Defense decided that the only acceptable one of the 7 validated is that of the Aduro Impex – Strabag – Bog’Art consortium According to the data obtained by CursdeGuvernare the Ministry of Defense – through the General Staff and the Domains and Infrastructure Directorate – signed the contract with Aduro – Strabag – Bog’Art on April 29 And the Strabag company was Oleg Deripaska – one of Vladimir Putin’s close associates: Strabag SRL is practically a subsidiary of the Austrian company Strabag AG The largest shareholders of the Strabag group are Hans Peter Haselsteiner (28.3% of the capital) Rasperia Trading from Cyprus of the Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska (27.8%) How the Russians pretended to leave the contract for the NATO base at Kogălniceanu In order to avoid Oleg Deripaska’s international sanctions from affecting Strabag’s activity the majority shareholders of the group reached an agreement with the Russian billionaire for him to exit the shareholding: sanctioned Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska sold his stake in Austrian construction group Strabag Oleg Deripaska’s stake was acquired by another Russian company owned by Dimitry Aleksandrovich Beloglazov Raiffeisen Bank International would acquire the shares of Iliadis JSC over the next period if the American and European authorities allow it Those who had to ensure the security on the construction of a NATO Base did not consider that the involvement of a Russian builder is an attack on national security Here are the institutions surrounding this contract: The General Directorate for Defense Intelligence (now led by General Petru Bădiceanu.) the General Directorate for Defense Intelligence (DGIA) which issued the security clearance for the NATO base a few months after the Mihail Kogălniceanu base contract was entrusted The directorate then headed by General Marian Hăpău verified the companies and the eligibility terms The General Staff (Military Unit 02523) was in charge of organizing the tender The Domains and Infrastructures Directorate the evaluation of companies and the handling of expropriations is one of the military units that form the Domains and Infrastructures Directorate „This is a security issue for this military base I don’t understand why no one reported it about the fact that the Strabag company had as a shareholder a Russian oligarch subject to sanctions Had it been a contract to build a block of flats But we are talking about a military base” ambassador of the United States in Bucharest between 2019 and 2021 the American ambassador also tried to draw attention to this security problem at Kogălniceanu last year but no one seems to have paid any attention to him during Marcel Ciolacu’s visit to the USA in December 2024 American officials drew his attention to the fact that there is a security problem at the Kogălniceanu NATO Base regarding the construction contract It is not known at this time what measures the prime minister has taken have stated for CursDeGuvernare that at least two other NATO states have conveyed to the authorities in Bucharest their concerns regarding the involvement in the construction of the NATO base in Romania of a company with ties that lead directly to Vladimir Putin USSR walks: the calmness of Romanian authorities who see no problem CursDeGuvernare requested explanations regarding the security breach and the awarding of the contract for the NATO base from those directly involved in organizing the tender and ensuring the security of the project: General Marian Hapău himself – head of the military secret service (DGIA) on the date of the verification of competing companies of the tender and awarding of the contract To the question posed by CursDeGuvernare „Should the General Directorate Defense Intelligence have checked this contract concerning the base in Mihail Kogălniceanu or was it not only the responsibility of the Defense Intelligence but also of other internal and external Ministry of Defense structures?” „There is a lot to write and a lot of articles to invoke Approval of personnel entering the unit was one chapter The approval of the company was another chapter For better documentation you must contact the Ministry of Defense.” When asked why he retired so quickly right after the contract was awarded and if there was any connection between the tender completion and his retirement I retired upon reaching the standard retirement age and after an activity of 45 years of which 30 years spent in the field of Defense information.’ On the advice of the former head of the Army’s secret service From the reply of the Ministry of Defense – we avoid technical details that are not related to the topic raised by this article: „The contract to which you are referring is ongoing The modernization works at the 57th Air Base in Mihail Kogălniceanu are carried out on several objectives in the engineering and execution services contract while site management and supervision services are provided by Ministry of Defense staff within the limits of the held authorization areas The pace of works is in accordance with the execution schedules of the general contractor.(…..) The procurement procedure was carried out by the Domains and Infrastructures Department and the Domains and Infrastructures Center number 4 Focșani is the unit that implements the investment objective – phase I The tender was organized in compliance with all legal procedures including the security procedures characteristic of a classified contract.” just as the Kogălniceanu contract was being resolved NATO decreed Russia as the main threat to its neighbors and to Europe: the heads of Alliance states and governments gathered at the NATO Summit in Madrid signed the „NATO Strategic Concept” Here is what the Concept states: The Russian Federation represents the most significant and direct threat to the security of the Allies and to peace and stability in the Euro-Atlantic area cyber and hybrid means against us and our partners rhetoric and proven willingness to use force to achieve its political goals undermine the rules-based international order Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value" US military may be withdrawn from the "Mihail Kogalniceanu" base near Constanta in Romania former commander of US forces in Europe General Ben Hodges said in an interview with Digi24 „With Mihail Kogalniceanu we are talking almost entirely about ground troops I assume that the troops there may be included in the withdrawal plan the military that will be withdrawn are those who rotate with "Mihail Kogalniceanu" These are the ones that come for six months Ben Hodges added that most of the troops that are being rotated are in Eastern Europe and the amounts allocated for them come from the funds of the European Defense Initiative The American general added that this will be one of the methods by which the Trump administration is trying to move resources out of Europe I think the administration has been wrong from the very beginning in the way it is negotiating with Russia They are either naive or incompetent when it comes to Russia Europe cannot complain that it does not have a seat at the table because the administration in Washington does not respect Europe So Europe needs to build its own table," he believes According to the Romanian Ministry of National Defense about 1,700 American soldiers are currently stationed in Romania the ministry denied information that the United States was considering withdrawing 10,000 troops from Eastern Europe The ministry's position is that Romania had not received any official information from the United States to this effect and that several exercises involving American soldiers were planned in the country this year More news from World This work, U.S. Ambassador to Romania visits MKAB, by SPC Alexcia Rupert, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright