DefMin Dîncu: Romania is not in danger if Russia attacks Ukraine

Romania is not in danger due to the tense situation between Russia and Ukraine, the Defense Minister Vasile Dîncu said on Thursday. Minister Dîncu also retorted to the Russian ambassador to Bucharest, who said that Moscow would like written guarantees that the shield from Deveselu is purely defensive.

Russia’s ambassador to Romania, Valery Kuzmin, criticized the addition of NATO troops to the Black Sea area and said plans by the United States and France to send troops to Romania were helping to escalate tensions. The diplomat also stated that Russia is not interested in visiting the Deveselu shield, in order to convince itself that it is purely defensive. He said Moscow would prefer written guarantees from NATO and the United States.

Asked at RFI if there should be such guarantees, Vasile Dîncu replied: “We do not believe that written guarantees are needed in this situation. In fact, what Russia is trying to do is to redistribute the world on paper, to build new spheres of influence. This is what the Russian Federation is talking about when it comes to written guarantees. The guarantees offered by NATO and the Western world are those related to the values ​​that these countries serve, the values ​​of freedom, that of inviolability of borders, those related to the fact that each nation can choose its destiny freely, not to occupy territories, to allow the nations decide their own fate, these are the guarantees of contemporary civilization and in the name of these values ​​there is this politico-military alliance which is NATO. I think Russia has understood that, but obviously this is certainly about trying to consolidate another image, perhaps especially in Russia’s domestic political environment. ”

Questioned if Romania is in danger, if Russia attacks Ukraine, the Minister of Defense said: “Romania is not in danger and the population can rest easy from this point of view. We are prepared for the side effects that could be related to a conflict, we are prepared to receive refugees in this situation and for humanitarian aid in this area, but it is not the case of a conflict that directly affects Romania “.