Romania not among countries joining France’s “extended nuclear deterrence” initiative

Romania is not among the European countries that have so far agreed to participate in France’s proposed “extended nuclear deterrence” framework, according to Le Figaro.

French president Emmanuel Macron announced that eight European countries have expressed readiness to join the initiative: the United Kingdom, Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Greece, Sweden, and Denmark.

Under the concept outlined by Macron, participating countries could host elements of France’s “strategic air forces,” allowing them to be deployed deeper into the European continent in order to “complicate the calculations of our adversaries.” The initiative is presented as a step toward strengthening Europe’s strategic autonomy and reinforcing deterrence amid heightened security tensions linked to Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Romania’s absence from the list comes in a broader diplomatic context in which president Nicușor Dan recently attended an event hosted by US president Donald Trump focused on peace initiatives (Board of Peace) and mainly populated by leaders of authoritarian regimes, while not participating in last week’s ceremonies in Kyiv marking four years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Bucharest has traditionally relied strongly on the US security umbrella within NATO, including the presence of American troops and the Aegis Ashore missile defence system at Deveselu.

No official statement has yet been issued by Romanian authorities regarding potential participation in the French initiative.

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