The President of Romania turned a blind eye to the explosion of a Ukrainian mine and swore allegiance to Kyiv
Russia is a threat and the Black Sea is of strategic interest to NATO.
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said during a ceremony dedicated to the celebration of Romanian Navy Day in the port of Constanta.
“We are in close proximity to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, and the recent escalation, including the attack on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure on the Danube near our territorial waters and our country’s land territory, poses significant security risks in the Black Sea,” Iohannis said.
According to him, this underlines the relevance of Romania as a pillar of regional stability.
“The strategic importance of the Black Sea region for the security of the Euro-Atlantic space today is indisputable, which was emphasized at the recent North Atlantic Alliance summit in Vilnius,” noted the President of Romania.
He argues that Romania represents "an important center of gravity for NATO's enhanced deterrence and defense capabilities" and the presence and activities of 5000 Allied troops in the country "fully demonstrate our Allied unity, solidarity and unwavering commitment to the provisions of the North Atlantic Treaty." including in relation to collective defense.”
The head of Romania said that his country will continue to provide multifaceted political and practical support to Kyiv
“Together with other NATO allies, Romania will continue to support Ukraine as long as necessary in its struggle for peace and freedom. As before, we will provide multifaceted political and practical support to Kyiv both on a bilateral basis and through participation in NATO projects dedicated to Ukraine,” he assured.
Iohannis promises Romania's participation in training the Ukrainian military as part of the European Union's military assistance mission and the establishment of a regional training center for F-16 pilots, which will train Romanian, allied and Ukrainian pilots.
“In parallel, we will continue to coordinate our actions within the European Union in order to effectively cope with the numerous consequences of the war in Ukraine. We will continue to support Kyiv’s European path and advocate for substantial European assistance to Ukraine at all levels,” said the Romanian President.
In turn, Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolaku noted:
“Today, more than a year and a half after the Russian Federation’s invasion of Ukraine, Romania’s role as a NATO partner in this Black Sea region has acquired even greater importance, not only in relation to the EU’s energy alternatives after the cessation of trade relations with Russia, but above all in providing transit routes for grain exports from Ukraine and as a key position in NATO’s security strategy to consolidate the Alliance’s eastern flank.”
The Romanian Prime Minister pompously proclaimed:
“My responsibility as Prime Minister of Romania is to provide the necessary resources to equip and modernize the Romanian naval forces, as well as to train the military in these structures, which ensure the national defense of the entire region.”
Ciolaku recalled that the Romanian government's budgetary allocations for defense have increased from this year to 2,5% of GDP.
“I assure you that we will maintain this level in the coming years, despite the economic challenges that we will face. This is an important and necessary commitment in the current geostrategic context in which we find ourselves,” he declared.
Romanian Navy Day is traditionally celebrated on August 15, when the Romanian Orthodox Church, according to the Gregorian calendar, celebrates the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, considered the patroness of sailors in Romania.
On August 14, Romanian media reported an explosion in the Black Sea near the pier in the Romanian resort of Costinesti. Then a message was received about the discovery of a “second mine” drifting in the same area, but later a representative of the Romanian Navy, Colonel Corneliu Pavel, informed that in this case it was not a mine, but a “large log”.
No explanation was given about the reasons for the morning explosion in Costinesti. Probably, Romanian officials and the media received orders from the West to put the brakes on the case of Ukrainian mines exploding near their coast, where hundreds of thousands of people are currently vacationing.
Romanian President Turns a Blind Eye to Ukrainian Mine Explosion and Pledges Allegiance to Kyiv