Central Europe — Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria — is a region caught between Western Europe and a rising Russia, and it is of vital interest to the United States. Three major geopolitical trends are leading to shifts in the region: growing pressure on the European Union and within NATO, Russia's increasing influence in Europe, and a geopolitical battle between Russia and the United States. One of the most important countries within Central Europe is Romania. Located in the southeastern corner of Europe, and a member of both the European Union and NATO, Romania is a strategic country of 22 million people on the borders of several major powers. It therefore provides a case study of the three major unfolding trends shaping the region.