Romania has only 377 tanks of T-55 and TR-85 types in military service and is currently not working on defense strategy in case of war with russia, despite belonging to the threatened “eastern flank” of NATO, in the vanguard of defense against russian expansionist ambitions. Instead, the Romanians preferred to rely not on their own combat prowess, but on NATO-level strategic planning and the French deployment in a stark illustration of how the collective defense principle is implemented in practice.
In an interview with Digi24, the Interim President of Romania, Ilie Bolojan, stated that no special scenarios are currently being worked on regarding a potential escalation of the security situation in the region, Defense Romania reports.
But NATO leadership has strategic plans designed at the allied command level with contributions from the Romanian Army, to repel threats to any member of the Alliance, the Eastern Flank included.
Notably, this was the acting president’s answer to the direct question if any additional security measures are planned in case amid regional tensions.
Defense Romania adds that the country currently hosts troops from France (as the leading NATO contingent in Romania) and the United States. Additionally, the Mihail Kogălniceanu air base is actively used by NATO aviation for operations in the region.
On a note from War News Hub, Bolojan’s remarks reflect the general understanding in the Romanian government that in the event of a possible aggression from russia, their main insurance is protection from other Western countries, and their own defense capability comes second.
Though it should be noted that the pre-election period in Romania might be making the officials more reserved in their statements on national security at the moment. But the silver lining is that some countries may view NATO’s collective defense doctrine as an excuse for defense spending cuts, following the line of thought that “stronger countries will protect us anyway.”
