Romania

Romania To Host F-16 Pilot Training Center For NATO

Romania will host pilot training facilities for F-16 aircraft, including those from Ukraine, as part of a new transatlantic military project, according to the Romanian Supreme National Defence Council, CSAT. The regional hub in Romania will cover the training requirements of allies and regional partners, making Romania a regional leader …

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War as a catalyst for greater Black Sea-Gulf interconnectivity

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to the Arab League summit on May 19 surprised observers around the world. In Jeddah, Zelenskyy fervently petitioned the Gulf countries to support Ukraine, the invaded, and not Russia, the invader. His visit was timely — so far neither Kyiv nor the West has been …

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Time to Get Serious About Moldova

Moldova lacks technical and administrative capacity required for EU accession. Brussels needs to do much more to put its European perspective on track. For Moldova, 2022 was the worst of years and the best of years. Russia’s war in Ukraine turned life upside down. The country, often ranked as the …

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How Russia Torpedoed Its Own Influence in Moldova

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has turned neighboring Moldova into a tinder box. Its border with Ukraine stretches for almost 1,000 kilometers, and Russian missiles have entered Moldovan airspace on more than one occasion. Moscow has threatened to prevent Moldova from becoming another “anti-Russia,” while making fearmongering accusations that the Ukrainian …

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Gagauzia’s New Governor, if Confirmed, Poses Headache for Moldovan Govt

Evghenia Gutul’s victory in the race for governor of autonomous Gagauzia has been dogged by allegations of irregularities. If confirmed, her pro-Russian party, bankrolled by a fugitive oligarch, will have a seat in Moldova’s pro-European cabinet. Evghenia Gutul may not have much of a political background to speak of, but …

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Navigating complex maritime security challenges in the Black and Mediterranean seas: Insights from the updated EUMSS

In March, the European Union announced an update to its 2014 Maritime Security Strategy (EUMSS), identifying both new and persisting threats to European security at sea. Undoubtedly, Russia’s February 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine helped influence the updated EUMSS approach to the Black and Mediterranean seas, with implicit and explicit …

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Time to Get Serious About Moldova

Moldova lacks technical and administrative capacity required for EU accession. Brussels needs to do much more to put its European perspective on track. For Moldova, 2022 was the worst of years and the best of years. Russia’s war in Ukraine turned life upside down. The country, often ranked as the …

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Romania says Chinese Road Projects Prove Wisdom of 2021 Ban

Romania banned Chinese companies from public infrastructure projects in 2021; two that predate the measure have gone far from smoothly. Catalin Drula recalls visiting Montenegro in 2016, when work was just beginning on what was supposed to be a 143-kilometre highway from the Adriatic port of Bar to the border …

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Turkey inks $321 million deal with Romania for Bayraktar military drones

Ukraine has had considerable success using the drone against Russia since Moscow’s invasion last year. Turkey and Romania have signed a multimillion dollar deal to sell Bucharest 18 Bayraktar TB2 drones. The deal further cements Turkey’s military relations with eastern Europe amid Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine. Turkey’s ambassador to …

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Gagauzia’s Election Could Help Russia Destabilize Moldova

The citizens of Gagauzia are preparing to elect their next governor. A victory of one of the many pro-Russian candidates could destabilize Moldova and derail its EU aspirations. A new governor will be elected on April 30 in Gagauzia, a traditionally pro-Russian autonomous region in southern Moldova. The outcome of …

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