Romania aims to become second military power on NATO eastern flank, defense minister says

Romania aims, through its new National Defense Strategy, to become the second military power on the eastern flank and a defense provider in the Black Sea region, according to defense minister Ionuț Moșteanu.

The new National Defense Strategy is a paradigm shift, the minister said.

“A fundamentally different point of view is that we are no longer a consumer of defense; we are a provider, or we want to become a provider of defense in the Black Sea region, and the ambition that the president sets in this Strategy is for us to be the second military power on the eastern flank, after Poland,” Moșteanu argued, cited by Agerpres.

To achieve this goal, Romania must continue to invest in defense and maintain close ties with its allies. Moreover, the government must explain to the population the importance of defense, since “in the defense of a country and the sovereignty of a people, everyone must contribute.”

To this end, the Defense Ministry is currently promoting a bill to introduce a four-month voluntary military service. The new bill may face difficulties, as a survey from earlier this year showed that fewer than three out of four Romanians have a good opinion about the introduction of voluntary military service, a ratio slightly lower compared to a decade ago.

“The population must accept that we must increase defense spending in the coming years. It is a decision we made together with our allies at the end of June. We made this decision understanding the new imperatives and new security challenges, understanding that for years we did not invest as much as we should have in our own defense,” the minister said.

Romanian president Nicusor Dan underlined a similar goal earlier this month, saying that “Romania meets all the conditions to become an innovation and production hub in the defense industry in Southeast Europe.”

(Photo source: Inquam Photos | Miruna Turbatu)