The Associated Press
Romania’s defense minister said in July 2017 that the country intends to buy Patriot missiles worth U.S. $3.9 billion from the United States.
Then-Defense Minister Adrian Tutuianu estimated Romania would begin paying for the missiles after Parliament passed a law to allow the acquisition.
The U.S. State Department approved the sale, saying it would help to “improve the security of a NATO ally … that is an important force for political stability and economic progress within Europe.”
The State Department said the missile system would strengthen Romania’s homeland defense and deter regional threats, increase the defensive capabilities of the Romanian military and shield the NATO allies who often train in Romania.
The U.S. increased its presence in Eastern Europe with regular training exercises to reassure NATO’s European allies after Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in 2014.