The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was quick to condemn the Kremlin government and President Vladimir Putin after a Russian drone struck an apartment building in Galati, Romania early Friday morning, May 29. Matthew Whitaker, U.S. President Donald Trump's ambassador to NATO, spoke out as well. But political scientist Ian Bremmer called him out for omitting a crucial detail: Russian involvement.
Romania wasn't the Russian military's intended target. Rather, the drone was meant for Ukraine, which has been at war with Russia since 2022 and experienced some of Europe's worst fighting since World War 2. But the Russian drone went to Romania by mistake, hitting an apartment building in Galati (a port city) and setting it ablaze. Two people were injured, according to NBC News reporter Alexander Smith — who described it as "exactly the type of spillover from the war in Ukraine that many in Europe have long feared."
On X, formerly Twitter, Whitaker posted, "We stand with our NATO Ally Romania and condemn this reckless incursion on its territory. Our thoughts are with the injured in Galati. We will defend every inch of NATO territory."
In response to Whitaker's tweet, Bremmer noted that he failed to mention that the drone came from Russia.
Bremmer posted, "stronger and more effective if you directly mention russia here."
Whitaker is a longtime Trump ally. After Trump, during his first presidency, fired Jeff Sessions as U.S. attorney general, he appointed Whitaker as acting AG before choosing Bill Barr as a permanent replacement.
Unlike Whitaker, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte mentioned Russia by name when condemning the drone attack.
Rutte, in an official statement, said, "Russia's reckless behavior is a danger to us all. Last night showed yet again that the implications of their illegal war of aggression don't stop at the border…. NATO stands ready to defend every inch of allied territory."
Romanian Foreign Affairs Minister Oana-Silvia Țoiu, meanwhile, described the drone attack as "a serious and irresponsible escalation by the Russian Federation" and a "serious violation of international law and of its airspace." And Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha warned, in a statement, "Russian aggression poses a real threat to the Black Sea region and the entire Europe."
Massachusetts-born political scientist Bremmer is the founder and president of the Eurasia Group, a consulting group that was launched in 1998 and is known for its focus on political risk management.
