EU must arm itself to deter Russia from “thinking about an attack,” Romanian president says

Romanian president Nicușor Dan said that EU countries must equip themselves to deter Russia “from thinking about an attack on Europe,” according to Agerpres.

The danger is not new, Dan argued. The EU has been facing a hybrid war for at least a decade.

The Romanian president made the statement moments before attending the European Council on Thursday, October 23.

“We have challenges that we see along the entire eastern border of the Union. It is not new that we need to prepare. We must equip ourselves to deter Russia from thinking about an attack on Europe. For now, my message is for people to remain calm, because we are much stronger economically than Russia and, if we prepare, this danger does not exist,” said the head of state.

European leaders gathered at the European Council are discussing security, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova’s accession process, as well as the 19th sanctions package against Russia.

One of the main discussions revolves around using Russia’s frozen assets to support Ukraine.

Nicușor Dan explained that “the main option is using Russia’s frozen assets and, until the EU budget in 2028, having only a guarantee from member states for these funds.”

The Romanian president also mentioned his support for further sanctions on Russia. “Each of the sanctions packages has economically affected Russia, and probably the adoption of package 19 is a good thing,” Nicușor Dan added.

These are not the only topics for the European leaders. Discussions are also ongoing regarding competitiveness, focused on simplification of all kinds of reporting.

The last topic on the agenda concerns the Republic of Moldova and the EU accession process.

(Photo source: Presidency.ro)