With all the recent build-up of hostilities, the United States keeps ramping up the stakes:

Moscow in recent days has talked about its effort to modernize its strategic missile forces, including bringing five new regiments online this year. Those efforts have worried American officials in the U.S. and Europe, who have repeatedly criticized what they say is a military build up in Kaliningrad, Crimea and elsewhere.

“We don’t want to get in an action-reaction cycle with Russia” Mr. Rose said. “But let me be clear the United States will do what is necessary to protect our allies and friends in Europe.”

Part of that “whatever is necessary” is bringing the missile base online in Deveselu, Romania. Of course, it’s never explained from whom or what this missile base is supposed to protect Romania.

Also lost in the discussion is why Romania, after more than 50 years of not having foreign troops stationed on its soil, is so accommodating to hosting a deeply antagonistic military base on its territory, most people having forgot that the original deal was for Romanian citizens to get visa waivers to travel to the United States in exchange for this “protection”.