Romania’s Supreme Council for National Defence (CSAT) is convening in a new meeting today at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace, with President Klaus Iohannis chairing it.
According to the Presidential Administration, the latest developments in Euro-Atlantic security amidst the Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine and the implications for Romania are on the meeting’s agenda, along with measures to enable an integrated management of a potential huge inflow of refugees from the neighbouring country.
President Klaus Iohannis announced on Tuesday, after the CSAT meeting, that Romania will increase the percentage of GDP allocated to defense from 2% to 2.5%. The President says that we need to increase Romania’s defense capacity, in the current security context. The head of state also announced that Romania will become a hub for collecting and transporting international humanitarian aid to Ukraine and Ukrainians.
Iohannis condemned again Russia’s “brutal attack on a sovereign and independent state”, saying it could not allow the map of Europe to be redrawn by violence. He argued that regardless of the outcome of the military action, there is already a winner – the Ukrainian people, who have become a symbol of the struggle for freedom.
According to the head of state, the CSAT decided to intensify efforts to significantly strengthen the position of deterrence and defense on the Eastern Flank in the near future, by deploying allied forces and the accelerated establishment of the Romanian Fighting Group. Iohannis stressed the need to increase the defense capacity of the Romanian state.
“I believe that the current crisis shows that, from a strategic point of view, new consolidated actions by Romania on at least two dimensions are needed.
First of all, increasing the defense capacity of the Romanian state. In this regard, I believe that it is necessary to increase the percentage of GDP allocated to defense expenditure from 2%, as it is at present, to 2.5%.
Secondly, it is necessary to achieve Romania’s energy independence, mainly through the development of civil renewable and nuclear energy.Of course, political decisions will be needed to achieve these strategic objectives, and concrete action plans need to be implemented at the level of the competent institutions,” the Romanian president concluded.
A CSAT meeting also took place last Thursday, focusing on the implications for Euro-Atlantic security amidst the Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine.
At the end of the meeting, President Iohannis said that Romania will not be drawn into the military conflict in Ukraine, and Romanians should not fear for their safety.
“Dear Romanians, I know that you are concerned about the conflict that is taking place not far from the borders of our country, but I can assure you: no Romanian should be afraid for his or her family’s safety,” said the head of state.
President Iohannis: Romania supports the integration of Ukraine, R. of Moldova and Georgia into the EU
He also pointed out that Romania is ready to deal with any economic and humanitarian consequences that a possible lasting conflict between Russia and Ukraine could generate.
Meanwhile on Monday, Iohannis had several reactions on Twitter, one of them being that Romania is entirely endorsing the integration of Ukraine in the EU, referring to the Ukrainian President’s move to sign the Ukraine’s bid to join the European Union.
“Romania🇷🇴 fully supports the integration of Ukraine🇺🇦, as well as of the Republic of Moldova🇲🇩 and Georgia🇬🇪, with the European Union🇪🇺. The place of these partners of the EU is within the European family, and Romania will do its best for this to become reality,” Iohannis tweeted.
Also on Twitter, the Romanian President announced Romania’s availability to host on its territory a humanitarian hub for Ukraine.
“I expressed 🇷🇴 Romania’s readiness to act as a distribution hub for the humanitarian assistance for #Ukraine, capitalizing on its position as neighbouring state with the longest border with #Ukraine.”