Relations between Romania and the US have been strongly affected by Donald Trump’s new policy promoted upon his return to the White House.
The impulsiveness of the American president, the attack on the European Union through the proposal to purchase Greenland, the way he positioned himself towards Canada, a neighboring country, by calling it the „51st American federal state,” the threat of withdrawing American troops, and the promotion of extremist parties on the old continent have triggered red alerts in almost all European state cabinets.
Romania has also been severely affected by Donald Trump’s isolationist policy in terms of free movement, following a decision from the White House which led to the suspension of the implementation of the Visa Waiver program indefinitely.
Another priority topic of discussion was the progress of Romania's inclusion in the Visa Waiver Program. Ilie Bolojan conveyed that this objective represents a priority on the bilateral agenda and an expectation of Romanian citizens. Romania expresses its full willingness to collaborate with American authorities to finalize this process within a reasonable timeframe and with a positive outcome.
Presidency of Romania, official statement
Additionally, our country will suffer as a result of massive budget cuts by the Pentagon that could lead to the withdrawal of a significant number of American troops from Europe. Around 1,700 are located in Romania, 1,400 at the Mihail Kogălniceanu Air Base, 200 in Deveselu, and around 100 at the Câmpia Turzii Air Base.
Such a withdrawal would mean a major vulnerability in the country's defense system, especially in the context of the war unfolding at the border.
A third line of tension created by the new American administration was represented by criticisms expressed by Vice President J.D. Vance and Elon Musk towards Romania for the annulment of the presidential elections at the end of last year, annulment that occurred following massive Russian interference, according to CSAT reports and the Constitutional Court's reasoning.
All three major actions of the Donald Trump administration have led to the dissolution of relations with Romania, putting in quotes the "strategic partnership" that formed the basis of a strong connection between the two countries.
Bolojan claims we have learned our lesson
In recent weeks, Romania has made huge efforts to rebuild its relationship with the US, but has not been very successful. And this is not due to local diplomacy, but rather due to the chaos that engulfed the American administration and the impulsiveness of Donald Trump, who opened dozens of political fronts, seeking to fundamentally change America without a very clear idea of how.
In this context, a delegation of 8 members of the US House of Representatives visited the European Parliament, Chisinau in Moldova, and Bucharest, Romania.
This is the first significant diplomatic mission of American lawmakers in our country following the installation of the new administration in Washington.
"Regarding the 2024 electoral process, the interim President specified that Romania has learned the necessary lessons and that the state institutions are committed to ensuring the correct and transparent conduct of elections, in full accordance with democratic standards," stated a press release issued by the Cotroceni Palace after the discussions held by Ilie Bolojan with the American delegation.
From the statement of the interim president, it is evident that he discussed with US representatives all three important and concerning topics for our country, as listed above.
However, despite good intentions, members of the American delegation have limited means to influence Donald Trump's foreign policy.
Upon their return to the US, they will draft a report and publish it on the Congress website, becoming an official document. The report will be reviewed by members of the State Department, but important decisions will be made exclusively by Trump, possibly with input from Marc Rubio, the head of the State Department.
We had a very good meeting with the embassy and then with the interim president today. It was about an hour-long meeting. We are now meeting with members of Parliament. We have eight members of Congress, Democrats, Republicans, both parties, and we are here to build our relationship and take it to another level...
Vern Buchanan, Republican Party, House of Representatives
For the moment, American policy is an unknown even to some members of the president's cabinet, and the trend imposed by Trump is based on massive budget cuts through layoffs of federal employees and withdrawal from Europe.
In such a situation, it is quite unclear in Romania whether it is worth investing in the diffuse relationship with the US, or if it is better for our country to participate as much as possible in the common European effort to replace American involvement on the continent in defense and in limiting Russia's influence.
It is hard for those within his own family to change an absurd decision by Trump. Imagine then what chances Romanian diplomacy has to achieve such a feat.
The ideas of the American president are only changed by the clash of his decisions with reality. Then he quickly gives up and blames others. This happened with tariffs, the relationship with Canada, negotiations with Putin. All major presidential failures in the first three months of his term.
Cazanciuc's strategic map
"We presented them with a map... showing the role and place of Romania in Europe, with the two pillars - from the north and south. In the middle of Europe, there is one pillar, Romania, and the other pillar - Poland. The document helped open up topics for each parliamentarian individually. As it was, let's say, the setting for this event, everyone had the opportunity to discuss with colleagues from all political parties, with the strategic map on the table," stated Senator Robert Cazanciuc (PSD), present at the meeting with the American delegation in the Romanian Parliament.
The map and explanation of Romania's strategic role in Europe were interesting initiatives, but the question remains how much American leaders still want to defend the old continent.
It is a mystery why Trump decided to reduce the global role of the US. Initially, he talked about relocating forces from the continent to the Pacific to deter China, then Trump surrendered even in his relationship with Beijing, losing initiative by triggering a chaotic trade war, raising the stakes, only to then take several steps back.
Disciplined China started courting South Korea, Japan, then turned to Europe, trying to form a global coalition against the US. No one says they will succeed, but for sure, Trump's America will lose much of its influence.
The new US president did everything in his power to alienate his allies, humiliate them, and destroy partnerships built over decades, and now he watches in amazement as new ones are being built, the void left by the US quickly filling with new agreements and trade relations.
US Congress knew why elections were canceled in Romania
"Starting in November 2024, the political scene in Romania became controversial following the unexpected victory of the far-right populist candidate Călin Georgescu in the first round of the presidential elections," states a report published by the US Congress on February 28, 2025.
"The Constitutional Court of Romania subsequently annulled the presidential elections, amid accusations that they were compromised by social media manipulation (mainly TikTok) and violations of electoral legislation, as well as concerns about possible Russian interference," the official document further highlights.
According to this report, American lawmakers were constantly informed about the situation in our country, and the delegation that arrived in Bucharest was aware of what had happened.
It is unlikely that the presidential elections will not be recognized by the US, and the American administration is interested in a pronounced vulnerability of Romania.
The role of this official visit represents, rather, a step towards rebuilding relations between the two countries, but beyond the unexpected actions of Donald Trump, it aims to establish a communication channel of the US Congress, which seeks to salvage what can still be saved from the greatness of American diplomacy.