Romania's National Security Adviser Tells the Daily Signal 'Trump Was Right' That Europe Must Carry More of Its Own Defense and 'We Love to Drill'
Ambassador Marius-Gabriel Lazurca, in Washington this week, says Romania spends 3.7% of GDP on defense, backs Trump's push for a ceasefire in Ukraine and wants deals in energy, AI and defense manufacturing.
A senior Romanian official is making a pitch to Washington: more trade, more security cooperation and no complaints about Trump's demands on NATO, the Daily Signal reports.
The visit. Marius-Gabriel Lazurca, national security adviser to Romanian President Nicușor Dan, told the Signal his message is that the U.S.-Romania relationship "has done a lot of good for both parties, but it is time to be more ambitious." It was his third trip to the U.S. since taking the job last November.
Ukraine. Lazurca said Romania, which has the longest border with Ukraine among its NATO and EU neighbors, is "probably the country that is most exposed to the spillover effects of this war." He said Romania supports Trump's peace efforts, but that a ceasefire is only "the first step." The goal, he said, should be a free and sovereign Ukraine: "An unjust peace is not really a peace because it will not last."
Defense spending. He said Trump "was right when he said that Europe should take greater responsibilities for its own security." Romania will spend 3.7% of its GDP on defense and security this year as NATO members work toward the 5% target set at the Hague summit. He said Romania is ready to take a bigger role in NATO.
Why America. Lazurca said there is "no anti-U.S. party or constituency" in Romania, a result in part of its experience under communism. He called the country Christian and "naturally conservative in many respects," and the relationship "ideology-proof" and "administration-proof."
Business. He said security ties are ahead of economic ones and "it is time to correct this asymmetry." He named energy, transportation and logistics, new technology, AI and defense manufacturing. He pointed to Neptune Deep, an offshore gas project in the Black Sea, as a way to reduce reliance on Russian gas. "Romania is open for business," he said. "We love to drill."
Moldova. Lazurca, a former ambassador to Moldova, said Moldova suffers most from the war after Ukraine, and pointed to Transnistria as an example of Russian pressure that predates the invasion.
Note for readers: these are the views of a Romanian government adviser speaking to a friendly outlet, and the Signal does not report any U.S. government response.