Two U.S. conservative periodicals have urged the Trump administration to remove troops from the Kogălniceanu Base in Romania, arguing that the "undemocratic" choice to do so should be reversed. block Călin Georgescu’s candidacy And the substantial expense associated with the base.
The first article Published in The American Conservative, the article titled "It's Time to Sever Ties with Romania" is penned by Anthony J. Constantini. In this piece, the author criticizes Romania’s Constitutional Court. canceling the 2024 presidential elections while prohibiting Calin Georgescu from participating again. He mentions this as well. criticisms issued by US Vice President JD Vance serve as a positive initial move, yet "the Trump administration should take it further by seizing this chance to clearly state its intention to withdraw troops and support from Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base."
Days later, another article In an opinion piece published on the conservative platform The National Interest, it was suggested that "reassessing" America’s ties with Romania could serve as a initial move towards overhauling NATO. Like in the previous article, the writer mentions how far-right pro-Russian contender Calin Georgescu was disqualified from contesting the presidency. Additionally, the argument is made that the actions of the Romanian Constitutional Court were taken with the backing of the Biden administration.
"Removing troops from Romania might unsettle NATO, indeed, yet it would showcase American determination and spur Europeans to take concrete steps toward strategic independence rather than merely discussing it. Furthermore, this move could serve as leverage to motivate Russia to stop combat operations in Ukraine, considering their longstanding concern over NATO forces advancing further east," writes author Michael Hall.
The two articles could potentially signal a significant change in the relationship between the United States and Romania. During an interview, HotNews , security expert Iulia Joja says that the US may indeed withdraw troops from the base.
"Two articles within a few days suggest that this is a campaign, and if we analyze it, we see an overlap in themes, as it is about the Kogălniceanu base. This, despite the fact that we could have been talking about another base, such as the one in Deveselu," explained Iulia Joja, an adjunct professor at Georgetown and George Washington universities.
Furthermore, in each instance, an established connection exists between the creator or distributor of the publication and Russia. Dmitri Simes, who previously served as the CEO of the Center for the National Interest, hails from Moscow and reportedly sustains connections with Russia, as reported by U.S. media outlets. The writer behind the piece published in The American Conservative, Anthony J. Constantini, pursued his education at universities abroad; he earned a Master’s degree focusing on arms control and strategic studies from St. Petersburg State University after attending university in Vienna.
Russia has frequently objected to the presence of the Kogălniceanu base. The decision to withdraw might align with the Trump administration’s approach of excessive accommodation towards Putin.
Joja states that for Russia, having a military base - which happens to be one of NATO's biggest installations - where troops from Western countries such as America, France, Britain, or Germany could be deployed, poses a significant issue.
"The point we should take into account is that this situation isn’t accidental—not just concerning the authors and publications connected to Russia. Additionally, it’s not coincidental that the statements made by the Trump administration about matters such as the eastern flank, European security, and Ukraine align closely with Russian interests,” added the specialist. “Therefore, Russian intelligence services would find ample justification for advocating policies aimed at hindering NATO’s plans for expanding the Kogălniceanu military base, even through means of misleading information,” she emphasized.
Closing the base would be in direct opposition to an earlier statement from US special envoy Keith Kellogg. In February, he reportedly told Romanian foreign minister Emil Hurezeanu that the bases in Romania would be maintained and even expanded.
As of February 2025, Romania has around 5,000 foreign soldiers on its territory, of which only 1,500 are American, spread between the Kogălniceanu, Deveselu, and Câmpia Turzii bases. The first base is the largest, hosting around 1,000 soldiers. By comparison, Poland has about 10,000 US soldiers on its national territory.
radu@romania-insider.com
(Photo source: Inquam Photos/George Calin)