Posted by 
Romania isn’t prepared for a potential war with Russia and it needs to brace, the country’s defense chief said.
Gheorghiță Vlad, chief of defense of Romania, said, “Yes, the population of Romania, like the entire population of the European Union, of Europe, must be concerned,” in an interview with Europa Liberă România published Thursday.
“If he wins in Ukraine, the main target will be the Republic of Moldova. We will witness tensions in the Western Balkans,” the Romanian general added. “I am more than convinced that President Putin’s policy will escalate in the near future.”
Vlad advocated for voluntary basic military training for men and women up to 35 years old. The general noted the end of compulsory military service in Romania as a reason for a shortfall in the army’s readiness.
Vlad also called for legal reforms to empower Romania to defend itself against Russian drones. Debris from one of the Kremlin’s drones fell in Romania last September and the uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) could not be shot down because Romanian law does not allow this, the general said. “We had no combat systems,” he added.
His broad call to action echoed similar recent warnings from other Western military and defense leaders, including the U.K.’s army chief General Patrick Sanders. Last week, he urged the British authorities to “mobilize the nation” to prepare for a possible war with Russia. Moscow has been waging all-out war on Ukraine for almost two years now.
Earlier, Germany’s Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said a Russian attack on the NATO military alliance was “possible” in “five to eight years.” Dutch Admiral Rob Bauer, a top NATO official, said the military bloc faced “the most dangerous world in decades.”
“The Russian Federation has become a problem for world order, for democracy,” Vlad said. “In fact, it is a Russian war with the democratic world. This is not a war with Ukraine.”
Moscow downplays the Western allegations.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov earlier this week called statements that Russia won’t stop in Ukraine “absurd.”
“NATO is an instrument of confrontation,” said Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov echoing long-term Russian rhetoric, adding that Moscow considers the alliance’s military exercises as a threat.
Sergey Goryashko is hosted at POLITICO under the EU-funded EU4FreeMedia residency program.
