Chuck Hagel

National leader of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), major at rule, Prime Minister Victor Ponta on Monday said European institutions and the US see Romania as having excellent and very strong legislative and institutional instruments to fight against corruption.

US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel will pay a visit to Romania on Thursday at the invitation of his Romanian counterpart Mircea Dusa, on which occasion the American official will also meet with Prime Minister Victor Ponta.

US Vice-President Joe Biden is to visit Bucharest for talks with Romanian leaders on the volatile situation in Ukraine, among other matters.

President Traian Basescu on Monday said he had invited Biden to Romania, but declined to specify the timing of the visit.

US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said permanently stationing an additional U.S. Army brigade in Europe is among options to beef up security in the region. 

This is just one of the measures, as Russian troops remain massed along Ukraine’s eastern border.