Cristian Daniel @CNDaniel

On the instructions of President @NicusorDanRO, I am holding talks this week with U.S. and allied officials at NATO in Brussels and at SHAPE, following my mission to Washington. President @realDonaldTrump is right: every NATO country must carry its own share of the burden. Under President Dan's leadership, Romania is doing exactly that: offering to do more, and faster, with the United States and our allies to protect the Romanian people, keep the war from spreading, and help bring it to an end.

On the occasion of Ukraine's Independence Day, Romania extends its warmest congratulations, along with wishes of peace, security, and prosperity. Today, we honour the extraordinary courage and heroic resilience of the Ukrainian people in defence of our shared values and freedom. Romania will continue to stand by #Ukraine, steadfast in upholding the country’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. Ukraine can count on our multidimensional assistance. Romania also remains fully committed to supporting Ukraine's EU accession process and its post-conflict reconstruction. At the same time, NATO's continued engagement with Ukraine remains essential to the long-term stability and security of the entire Euro-Atlantic area. @ZelenskyyUa

Today, on Ukraine’s Independence Day, we are proud to celebrate this occasion together with our Ukrainian friends. On this day, we honor all those who are fighting to ensure that Ukraine remains a sovereign and independent state, playing an important role in the security of our region and of Europe. We stand in solidarity with the Ukrainian people and commend their courage and resilience in defending their country against Russia’s ongoing war of aggression. Romania will continue to support all efforts aimed at achieving a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace, in accordance with international law and the UN Charter. We also reiterate our firm support for Ukraine’s European path and for advancing its EU accession process. Europe is your home, today and always! Romania 🇷🇴 will continue to stand by Ukraine 🇺🇦 in its legitimate fight against aggression. @andrii_sybiha #SlavaUkraini! 🇷🇴-🇺🇦 #UkraineIndependenceDay #StandWithUkraine

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On the European Day of Remembrance for Victims of Stalinism and Nazism, we are honouring the sacrifice and suffering of millions of people, victims of totalitarian regimes, reaffirming our determination to defend freedom, human dignity and democracy. This is not an abstract memory. All families in Europe were touched by the inhumanity of totalitarian ideologies and their regimes. Romanians are no exception. For most of the XX Century our families, our people have lived under one dictatorship or another. Quite often these used history, creed, or the desire to repair social wounds as propaganda discourse. They repeatedly tried to hijack national identity and pride to excuse or justify the most hideous crimes and built whole systems on the hatred of the other. When the other was one’s neighbour, one’s brother, one’s colleague! We turn the painful scars of our history into lessons for the next generations, so that this still recent past cannot be distorted and thus we build together a future protected from ideological hatred, extremism and oppression. It’s not the propaganda call of authoritarianism ideas that makes such paths possible, it is our silence when hearing them again. This European Day is a reminder not to be silent. #BlackRibbonDay#Neverforget

Romanian culture came alive at the Vienna International Centre! The Permanent Mission of Romania was delighted to support an event featuring the performance of Ansamblul „Doina Crișului” Ineu, bringing 🇷🇴 folk traditions to the international community through music and dance.

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NATO’s Eastern Flank Deterrence Initiative is a NATO regional initiative led by Allies, supported by U.S. Army Europe and Africa, to defeat adversary mass and momentum with low cost, attritable uncrewed systems, AI-enabled targeting, and layered defenses. europeafrica.army.mil/What-We-Do/INN…

My interview on The Brief, CNN, with Jim Sciutto. @jimsciutto

Romania-US trade surpassed $7.8 billion in 2025. Our economy has reached a new maturity, and a new ambition. The bilateral relationship between Romania and the US rests on two pillars, defence and the economy: equally important, not yet equally developed. We will close the gap. Comerțul România-SUA a depășit 7,8 miliarde de dolari în 2025. Economia noastră a atins o nouă maturitate și o nouă ambiție. Relația bilaterală dintre România și SUA stă pe doi piloni, apărarea și economia: la fel de importanți, încă inegal dezvoltați. Vom corecta această asimetrie. @USAmbRO

On Thursday, August 20, two Romanian Air Force F-16 aircraft were scrambled towards the location where a maritime drone was spotted in Romania's Exclusive Economic Zone, near the Neptun Alpha platform, part of the Neptun Deep project. The location is in Romania’s exclusive economic zone, approximately 80 nautical miles east of the city of Constanța. A Romanian Air Force F-16 aircraft engaged the target with its onboard cannon, successfully hitting the target. The drone, that was carrying explosives, was later completely destroyed by a Romanian Coast Guard EOD team. The Romanian Ministry of Defence announced that through the emergency consultation channel with Ukraine it was established that this is not a Ukrainian unmanned vessel. The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterates the utmost importance of protecting maritime infrastructure in the Black Sea. Russia’s illegal war of aggression against its sovereign neighbour threatens the overall security of the Black Sea area, in breach of Russia’s international law obligation and of international conventions regarding the Black Sea. We have briefed NATO Allies on today’s drone incidents. Romania and the Allies will continue to ensure the protection of Allied territory and national sovereignty in the air, on water and on our soil. As a consequence of these growing risks Romania and regional Allied partners have extended our cooperation at the Black Sea to cover de-mining operations as well as protecting maritime infrastructures. Romania also proposed to EU institutions the final concept for a future EU Black Sea Maritime Security Hub with one of its two HQs in Constanța.

Today, Romania destroyed a naval drone carrying explosives near its Neptun Deep platform in the Black Sea. An escalating campaign of threats is underway, unsettling our citizens and seeking to divide our Union. This is hybrid warfare. The founding mission of our Union is to preserve peace. Today, that also means having the capacity to deter provocation and aggression. Our Readiness 2030 agenda is mobilising up to EUR 800 billion. With the European Drone Defence Initiative and the Eastern Flank Watch, we are scaling up production in Europe to deliver capabilities Member States need. So we can respond to emerging threats with speed, unity and resolve.

Spoke by phone today with my Spanish counterpart @jmalbares, first and foremost to thank Spain for its concrete contribution to 🇷🇴 and Allied security. Last night, a Spanish Air and Space Force F-18 flying NATO Enhanced Air Policing from Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base, working in coordination with Romanian air defence command, intercepted and safely downed a drone that had entered Romanian airspace. 🇪🇸 Air Force is on its fourth such deployment to Romania acting like a dependable ally. The current Spanish mission is a scaled up deployment at the request of Romania and NATO to bolster the Eastern Flank following prior drone incidents. Both our air forces fly beyond their own borders to protect Allied skies: currently Spanish F-18s here, Romanian F-16s over Lithuania until last month. Allied security is indivisible. Thirteen years after we established our 🇷🇴-🇪🇸Strategic Partnership, this is what it means in practice. We will continue working closely together, as strategic partners, as NATO Allies and 🇪🇺 partners, to strengthen our common security. Gracias, España! 🇷🇴🇪🇸

Last night, airforce pilots monitoring our airspace successfully shot down another drone that entered Romanian airspace without approval. The Romanian Ministry of Defence informed that at 04:44, the target was detected entering national airspace, 24 km north of Galați, at which point two F-18 fighter jets, already pre-emptively scrambled into the air, from Mihail Kogalniceanu Military Air Base, received engagement approval. At 05:01, the drone was intercepted and destroyed in an unpopulated area by Spanish pilots in coordination with the Romanian command center. Thank you for a successful mission. The Spanish enhanced AirPolicing mission deployment started this August, as an Allied response to previous incidents. Romania is on the front line defending the NATO and European Union border. We have informed our Allies, and will continue to build a strong defence and detterence on the Eastern Flank. In the last three weeks this is the third unmaned vehicule that ilegally enters our airspace and is shot down. Before our Navy Day more fragments were washed to shore and our radars monitored attacks of more than 100 drones outside our border on Ukrainian Danube ports. This attempts to stop international food trade, essential for access to food across continents and for Ukraine’s resilience, are ilegitimate actions with spillover effects on the security of the Danube and the Black Sea.

Tonight, another drone entered Romanian national airspace without authorization and was shot down. At 04:44, the target was detected entering Romanian national airspace, 24 km north of Galați. At that moment, two Spanish F-18 fighter jets, which had already been scrambled as a precaution, received authorization to engage. At 05:01, the drone was intercepted and destroyed between the localities of Băleni and Cudalbi, in Galați County, in an unpopulated area. Congratulations to the Spanish pilots and the Romanian military personnel at the command center for a successful mission! Romania is defending its airspace, and our allies are standing with us. Vigilance, rapid response, and allied solidarity - these are the concrete guarantees of our security. Yes, Romania is on the front line of the European Union’s defense.

¡Gracias, España! Solo un día después de haber participado en las celebraciones y en los ejercicios del Día de la Armada Rumana, un F-18 Hornet de las Fuerzas Aéreas de España ha derribado un dron que había entrado en el espacio aéreo rumano. ¡Toda nuestra gratitud a España por la participación en la Policía Aérea de la OTAN! Mulțumim, Spania! La doar o zi după ce a participat la sărbătorile și la exercițiile de Ziua Marinei Române, un F-18 Hornet al Forțelor Aeriene Spaniole a doborât o dronă care intrase în spațiul aerian românesc. Întreaga noastră recunoștință Spaniei pentru participarea la Poliția Aeriană a NATO! @EmbEspBucarest

🇷🇴 stands with 🇯🇵 Romania reaffirms its support for Japan in the face of recent provocation surrounding Iturup/Etorofu Island and the increased Russian military presence in the region. Respect for international law, territorial integrity and the peaceful resolution of disputes are fundamental principles that must be upheld both in Europe and the Indo-Pacific. Security in Europe and the Indo-Pacific is increasingly interconnected. @moteging

Allies met in the North Atlantic Council to discuss the recent drone incidents and airspace violations in Poland and Romania. They expressed their support for the affected Allies and reiterated that Russia bears full responsibility for the violations ↓ nato.int/en/news-and-ev…

The North Atlantic Council met today to discuss airspace violations in #Poland 🇵🇱 & #Romania 🇷🇴 & recent drone incidents #NATO Allies:
 ➡️ condemned Russia for its reckless actions ➡️ expressed solidarity with Allies affected ➡️ and reaffirmed their unwavering support to #Ukraine NATO continues to enhance its ability to deter & defend against any aggression bit.ly/3TTofoe

Proud to have represented Romania in Washington last week. Our message was simple: Romania stands with the United States. We met with U.S. officials to deepen our defense commitments and strengthen our shared security on the Black Sea. 🇷🇴🇺🇸 @SenatorWicker @CounselorDOS @ElbridgeColby @USAmbRO

Neighbours help each other when it is possible and this has been the agenda of the phone call with FM Sybiha @andrii_sybiha. I shared the implications of the severe drought in the Danube on our nuclear energy production and talked about ways to maintain supply from Ukraine based on their nuclear energy production capacity and maintenance calendar. The conversation was in line with the good conversations of our ministries having energy portfolio (PM Ilie Bolojan and vicePM Denis Smîhal). Romania decided today a state of emergency for the energy market, as a consequence of the severe drought. The circumstances imposed a prudential shutdown of one of the Cernavodă nuclear plant reactors and on peak hours we will also count on the energy production in Ukraine. In our strategic partnership in May, our Presidents agreed on a 400kV high power line between our countries and today is another example on how energy grid connections benefit both Romania, Ukraine and EU markets, as energy is clearly a vital element of our economies and directly affect citizens cost and quality of life. During our conversation I expressed my solidarity and compassion after another night of barbaric Russian attacks against Ukrainian cities, with many civilian casualties and entire families killed. Received an update of the security situation, and of Ukraine needs on the frontline and ahead of the next winter. Exchanged views on the security developments in the Black Sea, including on the Russian drone incursion in Romanian airspace and the downing of three Russian UAVs by the Romanian Air Force over the past week. Sustained attacks on civilian vessels in the Black Sea have deep impact on the safety of navigation and the operation of legitimate economic activity such as the Maritime Corridor towards the Greater Odesa ports and the CPC terminal supplying crude oil to Romania.

Grateful for the strong Spanish commitment for the air defence of Romania. Soon there will be a significant presence of the Spanish Air and Space Force on Romanian territory: seven F-18M Hornet fighter aircraft, one A400M providing air-to-air refueling support, and three NH-90 helicopters and around 180 Spanish Air and Space force personnel. We are deeply appreciative and grateful for Spain’s constant and relevant support in ensuring effective deterrence and thus security for Romania and the Alliance. Our military cooperation is exceptional and Spanish renewed presence in Romania is a concrete example. This mission is a renewed and robust proof of the determination of our Allies to protect the Eastern Flank. This is also testament to the priority given by the Alliance and Allies to the security situation in the Black Sea area. Equally thankful for NATO’s timely move towards broader air defence with the purpose of achieving more flexible approach across the Alliance’s Integrated Air and Missile Defence (IAMD) framework within the Alliance’s area of responsibility. Both measures are valuable in strengthening Romania’s defense against growing security threats, particularly the intensification of air space violations by Russian drones. @jmalbares