The Russian government views Romania as a military threat whose government is pursuing “Russophobic” policies, a senior diplomat said.

Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko, who heads a department for European affairs at the Russian foreign minister, said the former Communist nation’s stance on EU sanctions and decision to host elements of a Nato missile defence system made it a “clear threat.”

"Romania's stance and the stance of its leadership, who have turned the country into an outpost, is a clear threat for us," he told Russia’s Interfax news agency.

"All these decisions ... are in the first instance aimed against Russia," he said, accusing Romanian authorities of reveling in anti-Russian rhetoric.

The $800 million Romanian element of Nato’s missile defence shield, which includes a base hosting SM3 medium range interceptor missiles, went online in May last year.

Nato and US officials say the missile defence system, which was initially announced in 2007, is designed to protect Nato allies from ballistic missiles launched by Iran.

Moscow says the real purpose of the shield is to erode Russia’s nuclear deterrent by reducing its chances of a successful retaliation in the event of being attacked by another country's nuclear missiles.

In 2009 Barack Obama scrapped plans to base long-range interceptor missiles in the Czech Republic and Poland, partly in response to Russian concerns. Russia has said the changes did not go far enough.