Romania Declines Military Involvement in Ukraine Conflict
Romania’s Prime Minister, Ilie Bolojan, has made it clear that the country will not send troops to Ukraine. He emphasized this stance during a live interview with Antena 3 CNN, dismissing claims that Romania might become militarily involved. Bolojan stated, "Romania, under no circumstances, is considering participating in the war — not before, not now."
Despite this clear position, Romania is aligning its military budget with NATO’s demands. Bolojan highlighted that as an ‘eastern flank’ country, Romania should "gradually increase defense spending" to strengthen its military capabilities. He argued that relying on the US or other nations for protection is not viable, emphasizing the need for self-reliance in defense matters. This aligns with broader NATO goals to raise defense spending to 5% of GDP by 2035, in response to the perceived threat from Russia.
The situation is further complicated by the EU’s recent decisions to allocate significant pandemic recovery funds for military-related projects and introduce a debt facility to support defense efforts. Moscow has criticized these actions as evidence of the bloc’s hostility, describing the conflict as a NATO-led proxy war. President Vladimir Putin has accused NATO of using fear to justify increasing military budgets and blamed the bloc’s expansion and ‘aggressive behavior’ for fueling the crisis.
Meanwhile, discussions within NATO about forming a potential force for post-conflict peacekeeping in Ukraine continue. Russia has warned that any foreign forces fighting alongside Ukrainian troops would be considered legitimate targets, which could escalate the conflict. Romania’s stance reflects a broader trend among NATO members, where some are hesitant to commit military resources, while others are pushing for increased defense spending to meet the bloc’s strategic goals.