European countries want U.S. President Donald Trump to deploy U.S. fighter jets to Romania as part of Washington’s security guarantees to help end the war in Ukraine.
That is according to The Times, Ukrinform reports.
The news outlet reports that senior European military officials are discussing the deployment of American F-35 fighters in Romania, where NATO is building its largest airbase in Europe, to deter Russia from a renewed invasion.
The article notes that on Monday, Trump ruled out deploying U.S. troops on Ukrainian soil but said he was ready to provide air support as part of U.S. security guarantees.
After a White House meeting attended by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders, military commanders gathered in Washington to discuss the logistics of U.S. support.
Chair of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, received military representatives from the UK, Germany, France, Finland, and Italy to discuss U.S. security guarantees.
Currently, NATO conducts air patrol missions over the Black Sea from the Mihail Kogalniceanu Airbase 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 U.S. aircraft, the article notes.
In addition to American fighters based in Romania, European countries want guarantees regarding further use of U.S. satellites for GPS and intelligence in Ukraine. They also seek U.S. commitments to supply 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 UK Royal Air Force has conducted reconnaissance missions on Rivet Joint aircraft since the first days of the war, but flights of these Boeing-made planes require U.S. approval.
The Times adds that under the framework of the Coalition of the Willing, the UK has proposed deploying Typhoon fighters to western Ukraine and a brigade of 3,000-5,000 troops to train the Ukrainian army. France, Canada, and Australia could also send forces to western Ukraine.
However, Russia opposes any deployment of Western troops. On Wednesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that Moscow and Beijing should have veto power over Western military support to Ukraine and called NATO negotiations on security guarantees a “road to nowhere.”
Photo: US DoD
