Enhanced NATO presence on the eastern flank

NATO is determined to consolidate its military presence on the Eastern flank if the security situation worsens.

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Leyla Cheamil, 21.01.2022, 13:50

The military tensions at the Russian-Ukrainian border are at the centre of talks between Western and Russian officials, in an attempt to find a peaceful solution. Russia presented the US and NATO with a list of demands related to security, but no progress has been made in this respect since the talks last week. Moscow denies planning to invade its neighboring country, but has massed almost 100,000 military close to the Ukrainian border. The Kremlin said through the voice of its spokesperson that the Americans threat to impose drastic sanctions against Russia is not helping.

On Thursday, US President Joe Biden gave assurances that if any Russian troops enter Ukraines territory, the move would be considered an invasion, which, he said, would trigger severe and coordinated economic response. In his turn, the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the Western powers are united in front of the Russian threat, a unity that gives them the force which Russia is lacking and cannot match. In his turn, French President Emmanuel Macron voiced his availability to participate with troops, as part of NATO, to defend the East European countries whose security is threatened by Russia. Macron mentioned Romania, where an enhanced presence of the NATO troops is to be decided. He said: ˮWe have shown our readiness to move forward, within NATO, to engage in new missions and to take responsibility for enhanced advanced presence missions, especially in Romania.ˮ

The Romanian President, Klaus Iohannis, hailed the announcements of his American and French counterparts as regards their availability to participate in enhancing military presence in Romania, if the security situation deteriorates. In his turn, the Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu said that the announcements of the American and French heads of state are very important and are proof of the two countries solidarity and strong commitment to Romania. Bogdan Aurescu also said these announcements are concrete results of efforts and diplomatic actions which the Romanian President, the Romanian diplomacy and other decision makers have made lately. According to Bogdan Aurescu, the American commitment is very important for the Euro-Atlantic security as a whole, which the Black Sea region is a part of. Aurescu emphasized the need to continue, in a coherent and unitary manner, the efforts to strengthen the allied deterrence and defense posture on the eastern flank. Against this background, he emphasized the fact that the unjustified threat with violence and the attempts to undermine the current parameters of European security are unacceptable. (EE)