EU offers cash for Black Sea attack response

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen visited Romania on November 9 and Bulgaria on November 10, 2026, meeting Romanian President Nicușor Dan and Prime Minister Luca-Alexandru Niculescu in Bucharest and Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev in Varna. The European Commission said Europe has experienced a worrying increase in hybrid threats, attacks and incursions into EU territory this year, with approximately half of the incidents affecting Romania, Bulgaria and the Black Sea region. Von der Leyen stressed that freedom of navigation in the Black Sea must be restored and preserved, and reiterated support for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's call for a ceasefire covering food and energy infrastructure. She announced dedicated funding of €50 million to accelerate work on the Black Sea Maritime Security Hub, with a clear timeline for completion, which could become operational in the first half of 2027. The hub will have three main objectives: protecting critical infrastructure, sharing information between Romania and Bulgaria, and supporting trade. The Commission also allocated €10 million to Bulgaria for rescue operations in the Black Sea. Romanian President Dan said the Black Sea is a key hub for global trade and Europe's energy security, and that a stable peace in Ukraine would not be possible without a secure Black Sea, accusing Russia of attempting to escalate the conflict it started five years ago and involve European countries. Since early October, drones have struck at least nine merchant vessels off the coasts of Romania and Bulgaria in the Black Sea. A report cited by the Financial Times said more than 570 security incidents have occurred in the Black Sea this year alone, while at least 40 sailors have lost their lives as a result of the attacks. Bulgarian Prime Minister Radev had previously accused Romania of being indirectly responsible for attacks on commercial ships, saying Bucharest had blamed Russia without providing evidence. The European Parliament has condemned attacks on civilian ships in the Black Sea through a resolution holding Russia responsible. Von der Leyen also highlighted immediate support through satellite imagery from Copernicus and said she looked forward to meeting Zelenskyy in Dublin later this week to discuss next steps toward peace.