Romanian president avoids details on Romania joining France’s extended nuclear deterrence initiative

Romanian president Nicușor Dan said Romania is already covered by the “Nato/US nuclear umbrella” and that Romania hosting nuclear elements on its territory “in the medium term” is out of the question.

He made the statement during a press conference while on a visit to Poland on March 5, answering questions from journalists seeking to learn more details about what Foreign Affairs minister Oana Țoiu implied to be an evaluation process ahead of a possible participation of the country in the nuclear deterrence initiative announced by French president Emannuel Macron.

About France, Dan said, “it is a relationship that has been going on for a long time; we have French soldiers in Romania.”

“When there are exceptional elements that go beyond the military sphere, we will communicate publicly,” president Dan said, quoted by StirileProtv.ro.

The enhanced nuclear deterrence initiative re-launched by president Macron is not competing with the existing Nato arrangements; on the contrary, it comes to address president Trump's invitation for enhanced military capacity in Europe, and does not necessarily involve nuclear warheads stationed on the territory of the countries joining France’s initiative.

Foreign Affairs minister Oana Toiu previously confirmed Romania was invited to join the initiative, around the time Dan was attending president Trump’s Board of Peace meeting, and assured that Romania’s participation in the French initiative, already joined by eight European countries including Poland, would be discussed in the Supreme Defense Council of the Country (CSAT), which is chaired by the president.

"From Romania's side and regarding our position, this subject belongs to the Supreme Council for National Defence, chaired by the president, and since the president is going to have relevant meetings on this topic, I will leave the answer to him," she said.

(Photo: Presidency.ro)