Former American ambassador to Bucharest Adrian Zuckerman accused Romania of not having a timetable yet for the Patriot battery it promised to Ukraine.
But Bucharest seems to be following the same path as Poland. The two frontline NATO states are unwilling to give up their strategic defense systems without similar and immediate compensations.
The Patriot system is one of the most advanced defensive systems, highly effective against missiles and aircraft. Romania has ordered seven systems of this kind, but so far only four have arrived in the country, and only two are operational.
According to the International Institute for Strategic Studies, a new Patriot battery costs over $1.1 billion, with $400 million for the system and $690 million for the missiles in a battery.
After the United States requested Bucharest at the end of April to send one of these systems to Kiev, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu stated that "the Minister of Defense has serious reservations about giving one of the systems to Ukraine," and President Klaus Iohannis said he is "open to discussions" only after the meeting on May 7 he had with Joe Biden.
Following pressures from Washington, on June 20, the Supreme Defense Council decided to donate one of the existing systems, after the Americans assured Romania that they would receive something similar in return.
However, there is no rush in this regard.
Former United States ambassador to Bucharest Adrian Zuckerman told TVR Info that although Romania committed to quickly deliver a Patriot battery to the Ukrainians, "it has not been given and there is no plan to give it in a month or two." The former diplomat says he does not understand the logic of the Defense Minister and the Government but suggests that Bucharest is stalling.
On the other hand, sources from the Ministry of National Defense explained a month ago to Europa Libera that the other two Patriot systems in their possession, still unpacked, will be ready to enter the country's defense system by spring 2025. In other words, none of the four is intended for Ukraine.
President Klaus Iohannis detailed after the Supreme Defense Council decision regarding the donation of the defensive system that Romania "expects" to be "reasonably compensated" and that all details are being negotiated with the United States.
However, former American ambassador sends a message when he emphasizes that "it's a matter of political will" and that there can be no technical pretexts involved: simply, one of the two unpacked Patriot batteries from the Romanians should have been sent to Ukraine as it was.
During the discussion, General Constantin Degeratu, former Chief of the General Staff, tried to justify the delay by stating that a Patriot battery needs up to 9 months to be operational, that in exchange for giving up this system, Romania was supposed to receive ammunition because these systems require missiles, and that the country is currently in a precarious economic situation, suggesting that it is not the time for a donation.
Adrian Zuckerman insisted, however, that Romania made a promise and did not keep it, adding that in the past, Bucharest was in talks to give planes to the Ukrainians, but cited the long training period for pilots and indefinitely postponed this potential aid.
While Germany donated three Patriot batteries to Ukraine back in July, Romania and the United States are just at the beginning of negotiations regarding a possible strategic donation for Ukraine.
It is not clear whether the former ambassador's intervention is related to the deadlock in negotiations or simply to Bucharest's reluctance to give up a strategic defense weapon in light of information about the progress of the war and the fact that Romania has a vulnerable border on the Black Sea.
Poland also refused to give up its defense systems; Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated from the beginning that his country does not have enough Patriot batteries to give to others and that no one should expect such a thing "from Poland, as a frontline state," because "everyone understands that we must protect our own airspace, including incidents related to Russian missiles."
However, in mid-June, Polish Defense Minister Cezary Tomczyk said that one of Poland's Patriot systems would be handed over to Ukraine after being replaced with a battery from another part of the world, as "Warsaw did not agree to transfer the Polish battery: Polish Patriot systems defend Polish airspace, and this will not change."
Romania has the same arguments as Poland but is not bold enough to voice them loudly. It is part of Bucharest's tradition to flex its NATO muscles and then change its position or even adopt a contrary one.