The chief of the army warns: Romania prepares for Putin

2024-02-02 15:15:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Romania must urgently adopt the legal framework that would allow civilian volunteers to attend military training, as the country needs to better prepare in case Russia's war against Ukraine widens.

This is what the new head of the Romanian army, General Gheorghita Vlad, said in an interview for Radio Free Europe.

"Yes, the population of Romania, like the entire population of the European Union, of Europe, should be worried", said General Vlad during the interview for the Romanian Service of REL.

"Personally, although not from the point of view of a career soldier, I think that the Russian Federation will not stop [in Ukraine]. If he wins in Ukraine, his main target will be Moldova. We will also see tensions in the Western Balkans. I am more than convinced that [Russian President Vladimir] Putin will escalate his policies in the near future."

Russia launched its unprovoked annexation of Ukraine in February 2022, bringing the war to Romania's northern borders and the Black Sea borders.

Romania abolished conscription in 2007, three years after joining NATO, and established a professional army and reserve troops.

General Vlad said that a draft law of the Ministry of Defense is currently in both houses of the Romanian Parliament and the debate on it is expected to take place after the conclusion of the local, parliamentary and presidential elections to be held this year.

"Among other things, we want to have a voluntary fixed-term military service," Vlad said, adding that the program would be separate from professional soldiers, but participants in the program would also be paid.

"We aim to attract the ages between 18 and 35 regardless of gender, nationality or religion, who want to wear the military uniform. We should pay for this kind of service and train the participants in the basic rules of war".

Romanian army chief Gheorghita Vlad said such a program is necessary as current reservists are aging and will not be able to face the challenges of a military conflict.

"Imagine a 50-year-old man carrying an 80-liter military bag on his back," he said.

Romania, a key member of NATO's southeastern flank, shares a 650-kilometer border with Ukraine. Currently, there are 80,000 professional soldiers in the army of this country.

General Vlad, who took over the leadership of the Romanian army last November, said that this number is insufficient given the current geopolitical climate and that the number of soldiers should be increased by 50 percent.