NATO committed to defense of Romania and eastern flank, alliance spokesman in Europe says

Martin O’Donnell, spokesperson for the NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe, said in a recent interview that the alliance is firmly committed to the defense of Romania and the entire eastern flank.

The statement comes two weeks after general Grynkewich, Supreme Allied Commander Europe, announced the launch of the Eastern Sentinel program, which sees increased NATO presence in Romania and Poland. The initiative will place a higher focus on air defense as a response to ongoing airspace violations, including the numerous Russian drones that violated Poland’s airspace on September 10.

According to O’Donnell, Eastern Sentinel will cover “the area from the far north to the Black Sea. So, of course, that includes Romania.” France was the first to announce increased contributions for better defense capabilities in the region, covering both Poland and Romania.

“These capabilities have arrived in Poland. But these capabilities, and any capability under SACEUR’s control (Supreme Allied Commander Europe), under general Grynkewich’s control, can be sent anywhere along allied territory. That very much includes Romania. So, although a force may be deployed in one country, it would be naïve or incorrect to think that it cannot be deployed in another country very, very quickly if needed,” the official noted in an interview with ProTV.

The NATO spokesman added that an airspace incursion does not automatically mean a potential threat, and that each case has to be analyzed individually. He noted that NATO service members from all 32 countries have acted accordingly every time they have acted.

Beyond the air defense, Eastern Sentinel also has a land and maritime component. “This speaks to the very nature of this multidomain activity, which will not only include Allied Command operations but also the transformation of Allied Command and the introduction of new and innovative technologies to deal with these incursions, especially drones,” O’Donnell concluded.

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