Relationship dossier
Romania
Russia
Relationship assessment
Romania–Russia relations are marked by security tensions, diplomatic restrictions, and Romania’s support for Ukraine.
Romania toward Russia
-55Romania has implemented EU sanctions on Russia and expelled Russian diplomats following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Its support for Ukraine and participation in NATO security measures contribute to strained relations with the Russian government.
Russia toward Romania
-65Russia has criticized Romania’s NATO role and the U.S. missile-defense facility at Deveselu, designated Romania an unfriendly state, and required reductions in Romanian diplomatic staffing in Russia.
Overall relationship
-60The relationship is shaped primarily by security confrontation: Romania’s NATO alignment and support for Ukraine contrast with Russia’s criticism of Romanian security policy and restrictive actions toward Romanian diplomatic representation. Sanctions and reciprocal diplomatic measures reinforce the adversarial character of ties.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Romania–Russia relations are substantially adversarial. Romania has aligned with EU sanctions on Russia, supported Ukraine, and expelled Russian diplomats. Russia has criticized Romania’s NATO role and missile-defense facilities, designated it an unfriendly state, and imposed limits on Romanian diplomatic staffing. These disputes sit within the wider confrontation between Russia and NATO.
Areas of tension
- Romania’s NATO role and regional security policy
- The U.S. missile-defense facility at Deveselu
- Romania’s support for Ukraine and participation in sanctions on Russia
- Diplomatic expulsions and restrictions on embassy staffing
Key developments
Romania expelled ten Russian diplomats after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Russia designated Romania an unfriendly state.
Russia imposed a limit on Romanian diplomatic and technical personnel in Russia.
Major uncertainties
- The scale and implementation of current diplomatic staffing restrictions are unclear.
- The extent of direct bilateral cooperation outside security and diplomatic matters is unclear.