Romania – pivot in the Eastern security landscape

This article aims to assess the role of Romania in the current Euro-Atlantic security landscape. After the Russian standoff with the annexation of Crimea, the strategic environment changed, making Romania an even more important pylon in the region. The situation proved to be a threat as well as an opportunity for the Romanian government to raise its profile on the European stage and in NATO. The main research questions revolve around why Romania is very important from a regional security standpoint and how it contributes to strengthening NATO and the EU on the eastern flank. I will take into account Romania’s national defense strategy with the purpose of outlining the main threats the state encounters as well as the top priorities for ensuring national security. My analysis will further highlight the main pillars the Romanian state rests upon in consolidating its international position as following: the NATO membership (Romania contributes and politically committed to raise its defense budget to 2% by 2017), the EU membership and the strategic partnership with the US. There will also be emphasis on the Black Sea Region which started to attract more attention in the light of the recent developments that took place in the area. Further on, I will focus on the strategies that Romania can pursue in order to take advantage of the current situation, enhance its position and gain a more powerful voice on the European/international stage, especially in both NATO and the EU.