Romania's defence minister Dincu keeps his seat, dismissal turns uncertain

Romanian prime minister Nicolae Ciucă discussed on October 17 with the minister of defence Vasile Dincu, and one of the topics addressed was the "calibration of public communication" at the level of the Ministry of Defence (MApN) in a governmental context," said Government's spokesperson Dan Cărbunaru, Hotnews.ro reported.

It is a more moderate statement compared to the harsh criticism expressed last week by PM Ciuca as regards controversial statements of minister Vasile Dincu regarding Ukraine.

But minister Dincu remains under fierce fire from the opposition, and the situation can generate tensions between the two members of the ruling coalition: the prime minister's Liberal Party and the Social Democrats who back minister Dincu.

As regards his controversial statements, minister Dincu claimed that he was provoked, through questioning, by representatives of the opposition party USR. His comments suggested that the sole way to stop the war in Ukraine is a negotiation with Russia conducted by international partners on behalf of Ukraine - statements that prompted fractions from Kyiv.

(Photo source: Inquam Photos/Octav Ganea)