Romania’s Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan. (Photo by Getty Images)
Romania’s Prime Minister, Ilie Bolojan, has said that Bucharest will deploy troops to Ukraine “under no circumstances.”
Speaking during a live interview with broadcaster Antena 3 CNN on Thursday, Bolojan dismissed rumors spread on social media suggesting that Romania might become militarily involved in the US-led Western countries proxy war in Ukraine against Russia.
“We are not sending our young people or children to war,” Bolojan clarified, after NATO member countries pledged last month to nearly triple their military spending under pressure from US President Donald Trump.
Bolojan pointed out that Romania’s position on the war remained the same as before.
“Romania, under no circumstances, is considering participating in the war – not before, not now.”
However, Bolojan noted that as a NATO member state, Romania is obliged to “gradually increase defense spending”.
He said to fulfill its obligations to the Northern Alliance, Romania must strengthen “eastern flank” military capabilities.
Bolojan added, “We can’t afford to rely on the idea that others – including the US – will ensure our protection without us contributing.”
At the summit in The Hague, Trump persuaded NATO member states to commit to raising military spending to 5 percent of GDP by 2035.
The increased military spending is to be allocated to what NATO leadership describes as the “long-term threat posed by Russia to Euro-Atlantic security.”
Moscow has warned against increased militarization, reminding NATO member states in Europe that Russia poses no threat to the bloc.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly dismissed Western concerns about Russia’s aggression as “nonsense.”
The Russian leadership says the US-led alliance is using fear-mongering tactics to increase the military budgets of NATO member states to empower them to purchase more arms and munitions from the military-industrial complex.
Putin blames NATO’s expansionist policy towards the east and its “aggressive behavior” towards Moscow for fueling the Ukraine crisis.