Romanian President Nicușor Dan said the Black Sea cannot be considered safe until Russia’s war in Ukraine ends, and he urged NATO to increase its oversight of the region after a series of drone strikes on commercial vessels, speaking in an Euronews interview.
He said he is optimistic that the necessary support and capabilities will be available to enhance protection, calling it a vital economic concern for Ukraine and the wider region, remarks made on the fringes of the EU summit in Brussels on Friday.
Dan pointed out that drone incursions into Romanian airspace began roughly eighteen months ago, catching Bucharest off guard, and warned that a comparable lack of readiness now exists along its eastern flank.
“We face the same challenges in the Black Sea,” he said, adding that protecting the waters under Romania’s sovereignty is essential.
He also expressed confidence in ongoing support from US President Donald Trump for Black Sea security and for Romania’s standing within NATO.
“On defense, I see mutual benefit,” Dan said, noting that Romania’s advantageous location enables it to project force to other parts of the world.
His confidence persists despite recent bellicose statements from President Trump concerning Ukrainian and European security, such as proposed troop cuts and a force posture review.
The president participated in the quarterly EU summit in Brussels, where heads of state debated Ukraine assistance, the bloc’s long‑term budget, and the widening trade deficit with China.
Nevertheless, the worsening security situation in the Black Sea led Dan and his Bulgarian counterpart, Prime Minister Rumen Radev, to prioritize security threats higher on the discussion agenda.
Following the summit, Dan told reporters that France had pledged to provide the necessary equipment and to gain a clearer understanding of Romania’s particular requirements in the Black Sea.
“There will always be new challenges,” he said, “but fortunately, Romania has allies to count on.”
The rising tensions also prompted a meeting between the two leaders and NATO Secretary‑General Mark Rutte to discuss enhanced support, during which Bulgaria requested combat aircraft and anti‑drone systems.
Rutte said NATO will continue to strengthen its presence on the eastern flank, including by expanding its counter‑drone capabilities.
“NATO will continue to cooperate closely with our Black Sea allies, adapting our deterrence and defense posture as necessary,” he said in a statement on the social media platform X.
Russia has repeatedly struck Ukrainian ports along the Black Sea and the Danube River, compelling Ukraine to rely on alternative routes to ship its grain to African and Middle Eastern markets.
As a result, Europe’s shipping lanes have become vulnerable to attack.
In the three days leading up to the Brussels meeting, and again the previous week, drones have damaged commercial vessels in the Black Sea off the coasts of Bulgaria and Romania; at least one ship sank last week following a drone attack, resulting in the deaths of two seafarers.
Neither Sofia nor Bucharest has formally blamed Russia for the incidents, although Radev told reporters that logic would indicate the Kremlin stands to gain, adding that “the problem is that we cannot prove it.”
Investigations into all of the incidents are still underway.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said at a press conference after meeting European leaders on Thursday that “you do not need a ground war for an invasion to occur.”
He added that Russia is probing Europe’s response to the attacks, referring to Black Sea incidents as well as an explosive‑laden drone found at an airport in Leipzig.
“Violating another country’s airspace is already an incursion,” Zelenskyy said.
“We have observed drones crossing airspace and borders in Romania, Poland, and Germany; a corresponding drone was found in Germany, while Moldova and Bulgaria have also been impacted. A great deal is unfolding today,” he continued.
Zelenskyy and other senior Ukrainian officials have publicly blamed Russia for several of these incidents, most notably a deadly drone attack on a vessel transporting Ukrainian grain off the Bulgarian coast.
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