European Union countries are urging the US to deploy F-35 fighter jets to Romania, which is being expanded into NATO's largest airbase on the continent, to bolster support for Ukraine and strengthen NATO's presence in Eastern Europe.

NATO is currently conducting air policing over the Black Sea from Romania's Mihail Kogălniceanu base, a strategic location that has historically served as a hub for US forces, and is now central to plans for increased military deployment.

Senior military leaders from the US, UK, Germany, France, Finland, and Italy recently met in Washington to discuss logistics for deploying US F-35 jets to Romania, with the US considering this move as part of broader support for Ukraine.

This development follows a high-level meeting in Washington involving President Zelensky, European leaders, and US military officials, including discussions on security guarantees for Ukraine and potential US air support, held shortly after Zelensky's visit to the White House.

During the August 18 meeting, President Trump explicitly ruled out deploying US ground troops to Ukraine but expressed willingness to provide air support as part of security guarantees.

Meanwhile, peace talks involving Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul have made little progress, with Russia's stance largely dismissive, and Vladimir Medinsky acting as Russia's lead negotiator.

Russia's Foreign Minister Lavrov indicated that President Putin is considering elevating the level of delegation in future negotiations, emphasizing careful preparation to achieve meaningful results.

Russia has shown some openness to security guarantees for Ukraine, provided they involve China, the US, the UK, and France, and discussions include potential security arrangements outside NATO's framework, possibly under NATO Article 5 principles.

Ukraine and its allies are seeking permission for reconnaissance aircraft, like British Rivet Joint planes, to operate over the Black Sea, though US approval is currently required for such missions, with the UK already conducting reconnaissance flights.

Britain has offered to send Typhoon jets and up to 5,000 troops for training in western Ukraine, while France, Canada, and Australia are considering troop deployments, despite Russia's opposition to Western military presence in Ukraine.

European nations are demanding guarantees for continued US satellite support, including GPS and intelligence, as well as missile supplies like Patriot and NASAMS, and reconnaissance flights over the Black Sea.

US Vice President JD Vance emphasized that Europe should bear most of the costs for Ukraine's security and take a leading role in supporting Ukraine's defense efforts.