Visit. Romania and France have increased their security cooperation recently amid the crisis generated by Russia’s military aggression in Ukraine, said Romanian president Klaus Iohannis after talks with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron at the Mihail Kogălniceanu air base in Constanţa county, in south-eastern Romania. During a joint press briefing, Iohannis again thanked France for the deployment of military and its coordination of NATO’s new battle group in Romania. The two presidents talked about the need to consolidate the deterrence and defence posture on the NATO eastern flank, especially in the Black Sea, NATO’s new strategic concept and the accession of Finland and Sweden. Emmanuel Macron said Romanian-French relations are based on a friendship that goes back two centuries. He added that the two countries wish to further boost bilateral cooperation and that an ambitious plan is being worked on, at the request of the Romanian authorities, to support the Romanian Navy. The agenda of talks also included Romania’s accession to the Schengen free movement area and its active involvement in the protection of the EU’s external borders. Emmanuel Macron’s next stop is the Republic of Moldova, where he will be received by president Maia Sandu.
NATO. Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis on Tuesday had talks in The Hague with the prime ministers of Belgium, Latvia, Poland and Portugal and with NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg on the preparation of the upcoming NATO summit hosted by Madrid at the end of the month. Iohannis emphasised the need for consolidated and effective allied presence on the NATO eastern flank, saying collective defence is and must remain NATO’s priority fundamental task. The participants also discussed the latest security developments, further assistance to Ukraine and the prospects of Sweden’s and Finland’s joining NATO. A joint declaration was adopted at the end of the meeting reaffirming the solidarity of the signatory countries with Ukraine and again calling on Vladimir Putin to stop the war in Ukraine and withdraw his troops.
Defence. NATO defence ministers are today meeting in Brussels to discuss additional weapons deliveries to Ukraine and Finland’s and Sweden’s accession to NATO. The Russian offensive in Donbas and its territorial gains have prompted Ukrainian officials to request more weapons from the West. The US and Britain have already promised to deliver several rocket launchers, but Ukraine says it needs more to stage an effective counteroffensive. The meeting is Brussels is chaired by the US defence secretary Lloyd Austin.
