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COUNTRIES JOINED: Romania’s foreign minister told Fox News Digital that Bucharest responded to the Trump administration’s call for joint support in the Middle East by allowing the use of Romanian military bases for “defensive operations” related to tensions with Iran and efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
“We allowed access to defensive operations, such as air refueling, for example, because we believe that allies need to trust each other,” said Romania’s Interim Minister of Foreign Affairs Oana-Silvia Ţoiu in a special interview at the United Nations.
“We are not part of the war, and we do not intend to be part of the war, but we are part of the effort to ensure mutual defense, and we are part of the effort of officials to ensure the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz,” he said.
Ţoiu’s comments come as President Donald Trump has repeatedly pressed European allies to increase defense spending and play a greater role in global security efforts, including maritime security in the Middle East.
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A container ship sits in focus as a small motor boat passes by in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, Saturday, May 2, 2026. (Amirhosein Khorgooi/ISNA via AP)
Ţoiu admitted that there is growing tension between Washington and other European countries regarding support related to the conflict with Iran, but said that both sides see the need for cooperation.
“I’m sure that on the US side and on the European side, we understand that we need to improve our dialogue to avoid times when we create tension in the transatlantic relationship,” he told Fox News Digital. “And I believe that a better discussion ahead of time on all sides leads to better results, especially in the request for help regarding the conflict in the Middle East.”
Romania’s foreign minister said Bucharest has authorized the use of its military bases and infrastructure for defense operations linked to regional security efforts.
“Romania has approved through the Parliament the proposal of the President, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Defense and the Prime Minister, the use of our military facilities and infrastructure in defense activities, to carry out activities such as air blowing, for example, because we know the fact that it is necessary to trust each other,” he said.
“I think we share clear goals here in Europe, between the US and countries around the world, like reducing electricity prices, like allowing fertilizers not to be banned there.”
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Oana-Silvia Toiu, Romanian Foreign Minister speaks at an emergency meeting of the Security Council requested by Romania and supported by France after a Russian military plane entered Romanian airspace and injured civilians when it exploded at the UN headquarters in New York, NY on June 1, 2026. (Lev Radin/Sipa USA)
Romania, a NATO member bordering Ukraine, has emerged as one of the alliance’s key eastern states amid growing concern over Russia’s war in Ukraine and instability in the Middle East.
“We agree with President Trump on the need to increase the budget,” Ţoiu said.
He noted that Romania increased defense spending to 2% of GDP during Trump’s previous term and plans to allocate an average of 3.4% next year through a combination of military procurement and strategic infrastructure investments.
He said this a few hours after Romania requested an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday following a Russian airstrike that attacked a residential building in the Romanian city of Galați on May 29.
The emergency forum marked the first time in Romania’s nearly 70-year history at the United Nations that it has requested a Security Council session regarding a threat to its country’s security, according to Romanian officials.
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Romanian police work at the site of a residential building explosion following a reported drone strike near the border with Ukraine, in Galati, Romania, May 29, 2026. (Inquam Images/George Calin via Reuters)
Addressing the Security Council, Ţoiu said the plane carrying explosives breached Romania’s airspace about four minutes before crashing into the tenth floor of a residential building, injuring a mother and a child.
“We have military analysis that clearly shows that it is a Russian-made aircraft by the type of design, the type of equipment, and the chemical analysis that they did,” he told Fox News Digital.
Ţoiu said the drone was believed to be part of a larger Russian attack targeting Ukrainian civilian infrastructure near the Danube River.
“We wanted to urge the international community to make sure that we say together that this is a clear violation of international law,” he said.
“And whether that was the intention or not, the responsibility is very clear. And these acts of negligence must stop.”
BALTIC LEADERS SLAM UN SECURITY COUNCIL AS WEAK AS RUSSIA HOLDS VETO
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz meets with Romanian Foreign Minister Oana-Silvia Ţoiu at UN headquarters in New York following an emergency Security Council session on the Russian airstrike in Romania, June 1, 2026. (US Mission to the United Nations)
Russia’s ambassador to the UN, Vasily Nebenzya, dismissed the accusations during the meeting, calling them “baseless and biased.”
Nebenzya argued that if the Geran-2 drone had hit the building directly, the damage would have been much greater, saying Romanian media images showed only fire damage rather than complete destruction.
He also called for a “thorough, objective, and non-politicized investigation” involving Russia and suggested the incident may have been a provocation by Ukraine aimed at drawing NATO deeper into the war.
The US military has been enforcing a naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, even during a ceasefire. (US Central Command)
Ţoiu pushed back against Moscow’s position and asked how a full member of the Security Council could act at the same time as an aggressive country.
“Now we have a question that is not only a question on the part of Romania, but a global question of how a member of the Security Council can contribute to its work there, which is peace and security, while it is also an aggressive country,” he said.
“And of course, its veto [ is not currently] used for peace and security.”
The United States joined more than 50 countries supporting Romania in a joint statement condemning the strike.
US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz later wrote in X that he met with Ţoiu following “a reckless Russian drone strike on a Romanian apartment building.
“The violence must end before too many innocent people suffer,” Waltz wrote.
Ţoiu told Fox News Digital that he also held meetings with the US delegation to the United Nations following the emergency session.
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NATO leaders participated in a summit in The Hague, Netherlands, on June 25, 2025, where they pledged to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP by 2035 as requested by President Donald Trump. (Handout / Latin America News Agency via Reuters Connect)
“The United States has joined our joint statement with more than 50 countries in making a clear message to the public about this attack,” he said.
“We are working with the United States not only through our cooperation in NATO, but also with strategic partners.”
