Romania will not send troops to fight in Ukraine and will ensure any military aid handed to Kyiv will not leave the country unprepared for attack, President Klaus Iohannis has said.
Speaking on Wednesday, the Romanian leader said he does not accept “under any circumstances that Romania should remain without missile defense and air defense.”
Asked how he sees the idea of Romania giving up a Patriot air defense battery, which costs around $1 billion to procure, the head of state said that “to the extent that something is given up, Romania must receive something else otherwise nothing will be done.”
He added that he does not have a timeframe for when he will convene Romania’s Supreme Council of National Defence (CSAT) to make a decision on the subject, “because these discussions are conducted by those in the Ministry of Defense and take time.”
“It’s not simple. Let’s not imagine that we’re talking about, I don’t know, a three-axle trailer here. It’s very complicated. There are contracts that have been made between the supplier and the beneficiary. These are very sophisticated installations and these things need to be very well clarified,” he added.
No troops to Ukraine
President Iohannis was also asked if he was considering sending soldiers to Ukraine, to which his response was unequivocal.
“Romania will not send fighters to Ukraine, it is a simple discussion and I think that is the end of it,” Iohannis said.
Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said on Tuesday evening that it was premature to say whether Romania will give Ukraine a Patriot battery or not, as it is an extremely important decision to be taken by the CSAT.
“A possible decision by Romania would greatly disturb Moscow,” he added.
