Paris: Romania attends a meeting of European chiefs of defence staff

Romania is taking part in a meeting of European chiefs of defence staff on Tuesday in Paris, organized at the initiative of French President Emmanuel Macron.

The countries in question are those that want to participate or provide logistical support, like Romania, to a possible peacekeeping force in Ukraine after the end of the war unleashed by Russia and in the context of the suspension of US military aid to Kiev.

The way to peace cannot be to abandon or surrender to Ukraine, it cannot be achieved at any price and under no circumstances under Russia's dictatorship, the French president has repeatedly said.

He recalled the experience of 2014, when Russia annexed the Ukrainian province of Crimea and the West settled for a fragile ceasefire.

Emmanuel Macron: Today we can no longer take Russia at its word. Ukraine has the right to peace and security for itself, and this is also in our interest and in the interest of the security of the European continent. A peace that guarantees Ukraine that it will not be invaded again by Russia must be prepared. This will certainly involve long-term support for the Ukrainian army and, perhaps, the deployment of European forces which will not leave today, nor engage in front-line fighting, but will go to Ukraine to ensure that peace is fully respected.

All countries have been invited in close coordination with NATO's Military Command, which will be associated with this.

Although Romania has not yet pledged to send troops to the future European peacekeeping force, Romania is expected to be represented at the Paris meeting by the Chief of the Army Staff, General Gheorghita Vlad.

Translated by: Radu Matei