EU urges Trump to station fighter jets in Romania for Ukraine’s defense — media

The Times reported the information.

Senior European military leaders are discussing the deployment of American F-35 fighter jets in Romania, where NATO is building its largest air base in Europe, to deter a renewed Russian invasion.

On Monday, August 18, Donald Trump ruled out the deployment of U.S. ground forces in Ukraine but stated that he was ready to provide air support as part of U.S. security guarantees.

Following this meeting, which included Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders, military chiefs gathered in Washington to discuss the logistics of American support. General Dan Caine, Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, hosted top generals from the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Finland, and Italy to discuss U.S. security guarantees.

At present, NATO is conducting air patrol missions over the Black Sea from the Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base in Romania, which served as a hub for U.S. forces during the Iraq War and is the most likely location for the deployment of American aircraft. In addition to U.S. fighter jets based in Romania, European countries want guarantees for the continued use of American satellites for GPS and intelligence in Ukraine. They also want the United States to commit to supplying Ukraine with Patriot and NASAMS air defense missiles to repel Russian attacks, as well as permission for reconnaissance aircraft to fly over the Black Sea.

The British Royal Air Force has been carrying out reconnaissance missions with Rivet Joint aircraft since the first days of the war, but flights of Boeing-made aircraft require U.S. approval.

• Earlier, it was reported that the United States and European leaders are working on a comprehensive package of security guarantees for Ukraine.
• On August 20, the White House stated that within the framework of security guarantees for Ukraine, they allow for the possibility of providing air support.