Germany’s defence minister says Berlin and Bucharest hold common views about the future of Ukraine ahead of a meeting of NATO defence ministers later this month in Brussels (June 24-25).
On a one-day visit to Bucharest, Ursula von der Leyen discussed security issues in the Black Sea region and concerns about the crisis in Ukraine with the Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, premier Victor Ponta and Defence minister Mircea Dusa.
While voicing that Germany and Romania share “major concerns connected to the effects of Kremlin policies regarding Ukraine, the German top official said there should be a peaceful solution to the conflict in Ukraine and that Ukraine itself should “decide what path it will follow.”
“In Berlin we are all aware of the strategic importance of the Black Sea region. We hold common views targeting the future path. We jointly determined that a peaceful solution for the conflict in Ukraine cannot be sought but in peaceful terms,” the German official stated.
She also asserted that German and Romanian military are attending joint exercises in the Black Sea, which proves the quality of the bilateral relations.
Ursula von der Leyen congratulated the Romanian counterpart Dusa for succeeding in quickly implementing the decisions of the Wales summit, which target setting up two NATO command centers in Romania. She added that Germany is willing to provide its support for detaching German military in the two centers.
In his turn, Romanian Defence minister Dusa said that the situation in Ukraine must be solved through dialogue.
Dusa said the Air Police is providing reinsurance mission on a daily basis, while a NATO Awax aircraft providing electronic surveillance is present on Romania’s air space almost daily.
Asked by the German journalists if Romania would also like to have other support and reinsurance measures in its air space, such as the rapid air transport, the Romanian defence minister said Romania has four military aircrafts for long flights, other seven ones for medium flights and aircrafts for small distances. “At present, we have a special tactical, cargo capability, as well as troops so that we don’t need to resort to other countries’ support.”