Although the Presidential Administration vaguely announced in a press release that the agreement with Eversheds Sutherland is intended to promote Romania’s economic and security interests, the contract also appears to have more specific objectives. The most important of these is arranging a visit by Nicușor Dan to the United States, where he would meet President Donald Trump, according to information obtained by Fanatik.ro from several sources close to the Presidential Administration. The Presidential Administration declined to answer a direct question regarding whether the lobbying agreement also includes securing a meeting for the Romanian president in Washington.
Nicușor Dan wants to meet Donald Trump, President of the United States, face-to-face this year. He personally confirmed this during an interview with journalist Sebastian Zachmann on Europa FM on April 16.
At the time, when asked about a possible visit to Washington this year, the Romanian president said that “work is being done on that.”
A visit secured through lobbying
It was in this context that the lobbying contract between the Presidential Administration and Eversheds Sutherland was signed, under which Cotroceni will pay $565,000 per month for six months.
One of the objectives of the lobbying agreement is reportedly the arrangement, by American lobbyists with access to Donald Trump, of a meeting between the U.S. president and Nicușor Dan. This information was confirmed directly or indirectly to Fanatik.ro by several sources close to Nicușor Dan and the Presidential Administration, who referred to the issue as an important item on the Romanian president’s agenda, without explicitly linking it to the lobbying contract.
“It is obvious that this is what the president wants. Not for himself, but for Romania. The administration in Washington is more personal during Donald Trump’s presidency. President Nicușor Dan believes it is necessary to move beyond the official channels — embassies and foreign ministries — and present Romania’s message during a face-to-face meeting with Donald Trump,” a person close to Nicușor Dan told Fanatik.ro.
Former Prime Minister Ludovic Orban, who also served as an adviser to Nicușor Dan, acknowledged that such a meeting is an important objective for the Romanian president.
“Obviously, this is one of the objectives — a meeting with Donald Trump. I do not know what is written in the contract, obviously I do not. I have not discussed this subject with the president. But yes, I know that a meeting with the U.S. president this year is important to Nicușor Dan. Perhaps such an objective cannot be included in a lobbying contract, I do not know, but I have reservations about whether an official meeting with Donald Trump can be obtained this way,” Orban said.
The Presidential Administration declined to answer questions regarding the connection between the lobbying contract and Nicușor Dan’s desire to meet Donald Trump.
Public statements about Washington
Since becoming president, Nicușor Dan has consistently stated that he wants to strengthen relations with the U.S. administration and secure an official meeting with Donald Trump.
The clearest public exchange occurred during the April 16 interview with Sebastian Zachmann on Europa FM:
Sebastian Zachmann: “Will you travel to the United States this year?”
Nicușor Dan: “I think so.”
Sebastian Zachmann: “Do you still want to appear in a photo with Trump?”
Nicușor Dan: “Romania needs the strategic partnership with the United States. I am the President of Romania.”
Before attending the “Council for Peace” meeting organized by Donald Trump in Washington in February 2026, Nicușor Dan suggested that the trip was also intended to rebuild relations with the U.S. administration following tensions caused by Romania’s annulled elections.
“There were certain doubts, perhaps a lack of trust, after the annulled elections, on the part of the American administration,” the Romanian president said.
“I believe Romania’s presence, through its president, helps clarify the true bilateral relationship between Romania and the United States.”
At press conferences in Cotroceni, however, Nicușor Dan avoided announcing a date for a Trump–Nicușor Dan meeting, preferring instead to speak about “cooperation,” the “strategic partnership,” and ongoing diplomatic contacts.
Two missed opportunities
The two missed opportunities in Nicușor Dan’s relationship with Donald Trump became some of the most discussed episodes of Romanian foreign policy in 2026.
Seeking to build a direct relationship with the new Republican administration in Washington, the Romanian president chose to attend the “Council for Peace,” a project promoted by Donald Trump as an alternative framework to NATO. Romania was effectively the only major EU country to send its head of state to the inaugural meeting in Washington.
Nicușor Dan hoped for a private meeting with Trump or at least for discussions regarding a future official White House visit. Before the trip, he confirmed that there were “discussions with the American side” concerning Romania’s participation and status within the new international structure.
In the end, Nicușor Dan was left only with a brief protocol greeting and a photograph showing Donald Trump welcoming guests at the summit. Trump’s team allowed only official photographers to take pictures of the greetings.
The episode quickly went viral after Trump mistakenly introduced Nicușor Dan as the “Prime Minister of Romania.”
The second diplomatic opportunity was the B9 Summit held in Bucharest on May 12–13. However, Washington’s agenda changed. A strategic meeting between Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, initially planned for early April, was postponed to May 14–15 due to tensions involving Iran and changes in the U.S.–China diplomatic calendar.
In addition, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio did not attend the Bucharest summit, significantly reducing its international political importance.
If not Trump, then Trump’s advisers
Although he did not meet Trump privately, Nicușor Dan did meet several influential figures from the MAGA network during the Council for Peace event in Washington, including Italian businessman Valerio Zampiolli and Republican strategist Jason Miller, one of Donald Trump’s closest political advisers.
Jason Miller visited Bucharest in May and acknowledged that he knew Nicușor Dan. On May 18, 2026, Miller appeared on Antena 3, praising both Romania and its president.
“I really like his sharp mind and his approach,” Miller said about his February meeting with Nicușor Dan.
Miller is one of the architects of Donald Trump’s campaigns and the founder of the conservative social media platform Gettr, making him one of the most influential Republican strategists of recent years.
The lobbying network
At the same time, Matt Schlapp and his Washington influence network had already become indirectly connected to lobbying contracts involving Romanian-American energy projects.
Documents filed in the United States mention the Vertical Gas Corridor, a regional infrastructure project designed to transport LNG imported from the United States and Greece to Romania and Central Europe.
The project was promoted by RASAI – Romanian-American Strategic Alliance for Infrastructure, a structure that included three Romanian companies: IS Gaz SA Sântana de Mureș, IRIGC Impex Bucharest, and MVN Structural Consulting SRL Bucharest.
Lobbying and representation contracts for these interests in Washington were managed through Eversheds Sutherland — the same firm later hired by the Presidential Administration for a lobbying agreement worth up to $3.4 million.
Cotroceni’s official explanation
“Deepening the strategic relationship with the United States of America in all areas is an objective of national interest, assumed at the institutional level and supported through political consensus by Romania’s democratic pro-Western forces. It also reflects the expectations of the majority of our citizens. Through concrete bilateral projects in defense, security, energy, and advanced technologies, Romania becomes stronger, benefiting Romanians, allies, and partners alike,” the Presidential Administration stated.
Accordingly, the Presidential Administration announced that it had concluded a strategic consulting and government relations contract concerning the U.S. Government and Congress.
The agreement was signed with Eversheds Sutherland (US) LLP, a global firm also present in Romania, with experience in government relations and strategic consulting.
“The overall objective of this contract is to protect and promote Romania’s strategic interests, strengthen the Partnership with the United States, and enhance the Romanian state’s capacity to effectively defend the interests of our citizens in an unpredictable international environment. The contract has an initial duration of six months and establishes a maximum remuneration ceiling of USD 565,000 per month, depending on the services and deliverables provided,” the Presidential Administration stated.
