Trump wants to cut support for the preparation of Romanian military. An expert warns of the consequences

The United States will gradually eliminate security assistance programs for armies on NATO's eastern flank, including Romania. Security policies Hari Bucur Marcu explained what are the implications for our country of these decisions.

The US does not want to pay for the training of the military from the eastern flank. Photo: Shutterstock

Pentagon officials informed the European diplomats on Friday that the US will no longer fund the training and equipping programs in the Eastern European countries that would be in the first line of any conflict with Russia, people familiar with the situation for the Financial Times.

Among these diplomats would have been the military attaché of Romania in the US, General Florin Tomiuc.

It would be, says the Financial Times, about the program of the Pentagon known as “Section 333”, which involves the provision of training and equipment to the partner security forces. The gradual reduction of funding would affect a program with a global budget of over $ 1 billion, according to estimates of Senate councilors, potentially reducing hundreds of millions of dollars that the US sends to the countries on the border with Russia.

Between 2018 and 2022, the program allocated $ 1.6 billion for Europe, ie about 29% of global expenses through section 333, according to US Government officials. The main beneficiaries were Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

The Pentagon did not inform diplomats about the exact amount that will be withdrawn. The funds must be approved by the US Congress, but the Trump administration has not requested money to continue the programs. Funds already approved will be available by the end of September 2026.

“The most important aspect is that the reduction of these expenses is not related to the American military presence in Romania. The number of troops remains the same in the near future. If the Pentagon will decide the reduction of troops in Europe, the issue will be treated separately, in the next period.”reported Antena 3.

The separate US military funding program, which offers funds for the acquisition of major military equipment, such as fighter jets, ships and tanks, is not affected by this decision, according to a person familiar with the situation for the Financial Times.

Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the most important democrat in the Senate's External Relations Commission, described the discounts as on a “The wrong measure that transmits exactly the erroneous signal as we try to force Putin at the negotiation table and discourage the aggression of Russia.”

The discounts also come in the context in which Elbridge Colby, the Pentagon's policy officer, seeks to redirect US defense resources to Indo-Pacific to strengthen discouragement and reduce the risk of China related to Taiwan.

The main “victims” of these discounts will be Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, the source quoted shows.

“It is not related to a possible reduction of military herds”

“Adevărul” discussed with the expert in security policies Hari Bucur Marcu about the implications for Romania of the measures regarding the training of the military, which seems, according to the sources cited, that it will be affected in the case of Romania.

Asked how important the American help was for training in Romania, Bucur Marcu claimed:

“The reality is that it was not important. The reality is that up to Ciuca none of the schooling in America have reached the highest position in the army. The reality is that many have blocked their career precisely because they have taken courses in America. Over time I speak, not lately.”.

He said that the US developed and partners are paying these courses: “So it does not mean that he no longer receives Romanian America at the courses, only that now they have to be paid. I also participated in a very good course for the management of the defense resources I made through this system. Indeed, the Americans have paid. I do not think I could do it anywhere.” The expert stressed that when he did this course, the GDP of Romania was below 100 billion lei, and now we have 400 billion lei. “It is natural for the Americans to think of why they have to spend with” the rich “. Romania is no longer in the situation in which to not afford to pay these amounts ”.

Asked if this Decision of the Trump Government is a notice that the military herds in Romania will be reduced, Hari Bucur Marcu claimed: “No, no, it has no connection with each other. At the moment, the US sponsors different expenses that different states should make. For example, when I was in Afghanistan, each contingent has to pay his participation in missions, because NATO has no funds that support a state that sends its troops in a certain mission. For years, Romania has received from the Americans for free from this effort to participate in the form of logistics, equipment that we received from the Americans and so on. ”

Why? “Because it was the interest of Americans to be present there. They have this financial opportunity to help. I make a parallel with US Aid, in which case it was discovered that some of the funds were money thrown out the window. Now I do not know if the same thing happens in military matters, but it is very possible that military assistance programs, such as “Education Training”, for example, will not be effective. As I told you from the beginning, if you send Romania to say 10 students at the course of brigadier. Out of ten officers who have prepared in America to become brigadier commanders, no problem has arrived. If one has arrived, it means that the course has a 10%efficiency. Only in the situation where they would be 70-80%success would be relevant to Americans to pay for courses or participation in such a course“He said.

“The funds for the rich countries will be reduced”

Asked why he thinks that many officers prepared in the US in important command positions in the Romanian army, the expert claimed: “I tell you what happened to me. When I came, after I was educated by the Americans, everyone was very impressed, but they were all scared not to take the place with someone from there. “

Bucur Marcu claims that he had a friend who graduated a training course in the US and was put on the honor panel, considering that he became chief of staff in Romania. “And another friend told him,” you see that if they put you on the honor panel there, you will certainly not resist much here. ” And so it happened, that is, he did not make a complete internship. ”

Bucur Mark wanted to specify that now it is a new generation of officers, leaving the army 22 years ago. “But I can tell you that these things, as a mentality, are difficult to change.”

“I find it very natural for the Americans to say,” if it is still not effective, why to invest in it. ” Unlike the military who went to the Moscow Military Academy before, which guaranteed their future military career, even many of them went there without knowing Russian and without knowing a book, a book of true is being made. It's not like you go to Americans to indoctrinate you, make you a communist capitalist or something like that. They also had these courses, but they were separated ”he said.

Hari Bucur Marcu concluded that the approach is related to reducing American assistance in more developed states, given that the purpose of these programs is to help countries that have no possibilities. “For example, I do not think that they will be reduced from the funds granting the Republic of Moldova, which cannot afford to pay participation in such programs ”, the expert concluded.

Who is Hari Bucur Marcu

Hari Bucur Marcu was Associate Senior Fellow for the Defense Policy at the Geneva Center for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF), counselor in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the establishment of the post-conflict reconstruction center, the academic coordinator of the NATO Study Center in Bucharest, officer responsible for the Miliar and the Romanian

Since the transition into reserve in the spring of 2003, Hari Bucur-Marcu has strengthened its reputation as an international expert in the issues of the building of defense institutions, defense policies and military alliances, especially NATO, as well as the reform of the Security Sector.

He is the author of the book Essentials of Defense Institution Building, published in Vienna in English and translated into French, as well as the first editor of the volume Defense Management – An Introduction, published in Geneva, in English and translated into Armenian, French, Russian, Spanish, Turkish and Ukrainian. He is also the author of several chapters in books and articles that address financial planning topics, public information, training policies, defense transparency, institutionalization of security risks and the like. He published a self-evaluation kit for the institutionalization of defense, in Geneva, in English and translated into Russian and Ukrainian.

He organized courses and seminars and contributed to conferences, seminars and workshops in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Georgia, Germany, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Slovakia, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates and United States. He was part of teams of international experts who visited Armenia, Azerbaijan, Republic of Moldova and Ukraine and counseled the armies of these states, including the Ukrainian.