The United States are relocating 1,000 troops from Germany to Romania
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby has announced on Wednesday that 1,000 American soldiers currently in Germany will be relocated to Romania, following an „express invitation from the Romanian government.” In addition, about 2,000 more U.S. troops will be sent to Europe „in the coming days,” most of them to Poland and the rest to Germany, John Kirby said, adding that the force is „trained and equipped for a variety of missions to deter aggression and defend our allies.” These steps were planned in close collaboration with the French and German allies of the United States, the Pentagon official added. John Kirby stressed that these are not permanent measures, but are adopted in response to current conditions, and that „our position will be adjusted as these conditions evolve.”
Romania has welcomed the Pentagon’s announcement on the additional US troops being sent to the country
Following the announcement from the Pentagon that the US is relocating 1,000 troops from Germany to Romania, President Klaus Iohannis and Defense Minister Vasile Dincu welcomed the initiative and said it would play an important role in discouraging any negative security developments in the region. It is a defensive measure, in support of Romania’s security and defense, which will at the same time contribute to strengthening the Allied position of defending and discouraging any aggression on the entire eastern flank, Minister Vasile Dincu stressed. He also reminded of France’s interest in deploying troops to Romania under Allied command.
The Romanian Foreign Affairs Minister has met his French counterpart in Bucharest
The Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bogdan Aurescu, has held political consultations with the French Minister for Europe and the French Foreign Affairs Minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, who will attend the solemn sitting of the Romanian Parliament marking the 15th anniversary of Romania’s accession to European Union. The two ministers will have assessed the stage of implementation of the Romania – France Roadmap with a focus on deepening economic cooperation, but also the stage and prospects of projects of common strategic interest, such as in the area of security. On Thursday, the French Foreign Minister will take part in a round of consultations as part of the Bucharest 9 Format, on the security situation near Ukraine and the Black Sea region. Tomorrow’s consultations, hosted by Bogdan Aurescu, will also be attended by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and are designed to assess the security developments in the Eastern Neighborhood and the Black Sea region, which have an impact on Euro-Atlantic security, and to discuss measures to strengthen the entire Eastern Flank of the Alliance, from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea, in a uniform and coherent manner. France recently announced that it could contribute troops to defending the eastern flank in the event of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Jean-Yves Le Drian: We are in a phase of collective defense, deterrence and also a contribution to dialogue and the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union is fully mobilized to support these initiatives.
Mădălina Brotăcel, RADOR
