Romanian President Urges Stronger NATO Control as Drone Strikes Hit Black Sea Shipping

Romanian President Nicușor Dan said that the Black Sea’s security is under mounting pressure, pointing to recent drone attacks on merchant ships off the coasts of Romania and Bulgaria. He said such incursions began roughly a year and a half ago and that both Bucharest and its eastern neighbour were caught unprepared. Dan urged NATO to assume greater oversight and to enhance counter-drone capabilities, stressing the water’s importance for Ukraine’s economy and regional trade.

He voiced confidence that the United States, under President Donald Trump, will continue to back Romania within the alliance. At a Brussels EU summit, Dan and Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev raised the issue with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, who pledged to adjust the alliance’s deterrence posture along the eastern flank. France has offered equipment to meet specific Black Sea needs, while Bulgaria has asked for combat aircraft and anti-drone systems. Investigations have not yet definitively attributed the attacks, though officials suspect Russian involvement.