Bolojan and NATO chief discuss eastern-flank security and the Black Sea

Romanian Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan held talks with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Tuesday about the war in Ukraine, security in the Black Sea and the main challenges facing the region.

The Romanian government said Bolojan thanked Rutte and NATO for their support and stressed the need to keep the alliance focused on its eastern flank and the Black Sea. He also called for allied capabilities to be deployed in Romania as drone incursions into Romanian maritime and airspace increase.

The two officials discussed incidents involving drones and the security of navigation in the Black Sea. The government said the conversation reaffirmed Romania’s commitment to strengthening the alliance’s eastern-flank security and supporting Ukraine against Russian aggression.

The meeting took place after authorities found a drone on Tuesday morning in an area outside Viișoara commune in Vaslui County. The drone was reportedly carrying an explosive payload. Police, gendarmes and an explosive-ordnance team from Romania’s Intelligence Service isolated the area and began checking the device and the circumstances in which it arrived there. Authorities have not established whether it was connected to the Russian attack the previous night.