Security and defense measures in Bucharest
Romania, the country with the longest borders with Ukraine, is directly interested in ending the war.
Bogdan Matei, 31.03.2025, 13:50
“We are facing a complicated context after the annulled presidential election of last year, we have a strong distrust in both institutions and the political class. We also have a complicated situation internationally, with a war close to our borders. We need political stability”, Romania’s interim president Ilie Bolojan said after chairing his first meeting of the country’s Supreme Defense Council (CSAT). Participants agreed that Romania, the country with the longest land and maritime borders with Ukraine, is directly interested in ending the war by means of a just and lasting peace. Bucharest hails the results of the recent negotiations in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, regarding the ceasefire, as well as the USA’s efforts in that regard, as a first step towards reaching a peace agreement “as a result of which Ukraine, supported by all its allies, can begin the reconstruction of the country and the restoration of its economy”.
Romania will not send peacekeeping forces to Ukraine, but, as stated in a Presidency release, issued at the end of the Council meeting, our country will help monitor the ceasefire in Ukraine, by means of its infrastructure and other capabilities, being directly invested in putting an end to the war. The ceasefire, the press release reads, should be followed by a peace agreement that would provide robust security guarantees and deter any future aggression by Russia. Apart from actions meant to implement the ceasefire agreement, Romania will coordinate with allies in the region and NATO regarding issues related to the security and safety of navigation in the Black Sea. As these developments also have an impact on the neighboring Republic of Moldova, Council members also discussed support for Chișinău’s EU integration aspirations.
Against this security backdrop, the Council greenlit the purchase of a new light corvette-type ship for the Romanian Naval Forces, capable of executing a plethora of missions in the shortest time possible. The release also states that trans-Atlantic cooperation is key at present, and Romania must adopt a proactive strategy to consolidate the bilateral relationship with the United States, in order to maintain a consistent American military presence in the country. The Council meeting also approved reports on the activities of national security institutions in 2024 and the key priorities for 2025, and assessed the Supreme Defense Council’s report for 2024, which will be submitted to Parliament for approval. (VP)
