Romania has allowed the deployment of NATO high-readiness forces on Romanian territory in case of serious threats.
This was announced by the President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, to the parliament in a letter, as reported by Euractiv.
Thanks to this decision, the North Atlantic Council can decide to deploy joint rapid response task forces on Romanian territory in the event of a sudden serious security crisis threatening the country's national independence and sovereignty, "in order to react quickly to the crisis and prevent its escalation," the president emphasized in the letter.
To ensure the rapid deployment of these forces within 72 hours, prior approval of their deployment or transit through the country's territory is required, he added.
The Romanian Parliament will discuss the president's decision at the next joint session in the coming weeks.
The Chief of the Romanian General Staff, Georgica Vlad, also proposes to increase such readiness among the population, urging the Romanian government to adopt laws and measures to improve the population's readiness for potential Russian threats, warning that Moscow's victory in Ukraine could encourage further aggression.
But these calls sparked quite heated debates, with Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu backing away from the statements of the military chief, and Russian Ambassador Valery Kuzmin quickly reacting to them.
"As soon as Romania invites more troops and expresses its concern about military service, there should certainly be certain consequences. We openly talk about them, but we certainly do not seek war," Kuzmin said.
NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoană, whose native country is Romania, also disagreed with the head of the Romanian General Staff on the need to prepare for war with Russia.
