DEFENCE

 The strategic partnership between the US and Romania has never been stronger, said the US secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, during the talks with his Romanian counterpart Angel Tîlvăr in Washington on Thursday. According to a news release from the Pentagon, the US official praised the excellent relations between the two countries’ armed forces and thanked Romania for hosting thousands of US and Allied troops to bolster deterrence on NATO’s eastern flank, and for its role as a leader in the Black Sea region. The two officials condemned “Russia’s reckless war of choice in Ukraine” and reiterated their firm support for Ukraine. The Romanian defense minister is on a visit to the US for several days, and has meetings scheduled with senior US officials in the following days.