Romania accepts US missile defence

The US wants to place part of its missile defence system in Romania. On Thursday, Romanian President Traian Băsescu said that his country's Supreme Defence Council would approve the plan. The Voxpublica blog looks into the political entanglements behind the decision: "It is now clear that Vice President Joe Biden visited the very three countries last autumn that are participating in the anti-missile project: Poland, the Czech Republic and Romania. Had Romanian participation in the project already been discussed at that point? What is clear is that Romania's continued contribution of troops to the forces in Afghanistan played an important role in the negotiations. ... The missiles, too, will become a theme for Russian diplomatic pressure on Romania, just as the US bases on the Black Sea have been. We will take note, but will stay on the side of the Czech Republic and Poland. After all, Romania's strategic decisions came with the country's entry into NATO."

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