On 12 July 2026, Atlas News Romania set out the hypothesis of an invisible pact between Washington and its European allies, consolidated at the NATO Summit in Ankara. The verification test required European states to provide operational support to the United States outside the Alliance’s formal framework, through a separate coalition and without significant internal dispute. On 20 July, Foreign Minister Oana Țoiu confirmed that Romania is part of a coalition of approximately forty states, led by France and the United Kingdom, backing the U.S. State Department’s initiative to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. This analysis revisits the hypothesis, argues why the test has been passed, and examines the implications of the Ankara formula for Black Sea security and for Romanian foreign policy.