NATO vows to reinforce eastern flank during the foreign minister meeting in Romania

Europe, News November 29, 2022 , by IRIA No Comments

Foreign Ministers of 30 NATO member states are meeting in Romania from November 28 to November 30, 2022. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and President of Romania Klaus Iohannis met in Bucharest on the sidelines of the meeting.

The NATO gathering in Bucharest is focused on discussing the possibilities of reinforcing the eastern flank while providing more military aid to Ukraine. Foreign ministers of the NATO member states and the NATO secretary general arrived in Romania at the invitation of Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu.

Romania is the front line of NATO’s eastern flank in the Black Sea region. The area has become a focus of attention for the NATO alliance since the Russian invasion of Ukraine started in February this year.

Earlier this year, NATO decided to establish at least four new battlegroups in Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Romania, to combat the increasing threat from Russia. Each of the four new groups would consist of battalions of between 900 and 1,300 personnel. Several NATO countries, including Germany, are supplying permanent troops to be stationed at the easter flanks, while others are rotating and taking turns.

NATO has redeployed a combat group in Romania and strengthened its air defenses in the region. Shortly before the start of the foreign ministers’ meeting in Bucharest, Spain announced that it would temporarily transfer eight F-18 fighter jets to Romania, along with 130 soldiers.

The U.S. also maintains part of the missile defense shield in Romania, which was originally intended to counter long-range ballistic missile attacks from Iran or North Korea. According to NATO diplomats in Brussels, checks are being performed to see how the defense shield might also be used to protect against Russian missiles.

^{U.S., Romanian and British soldiers finish Bull Run II at the training area in Bemowo Piskie, Poland. The readiness exercise tested the speed of assembly, freedom of movement, and collective defense of the NATO battle group. (Image Credit: U.S. Army/Capt. John W. Strickland)}

Although the units in the eastern flanks would have a limited combat ability, they would hold a strong symbolic value as the front line against Russia’s possible aggression. To highlight the importance of NATO’s eastern flank in the ongoing security situation, NATO spokesperson Oana Lungescu said in a tweet that “In response to Russia’s war against Ukraine, we continue to strengthen our deterrence and defenses in the eastern part of the alliance.”

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg met with Romanian President Klaus Iohannis in Bucharest on November 28, 2022, as a run-up for the foreign minister’s meeting. The two leaders discussed security in the Black Sea region and the challenges posed by Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine.

Stoltenberg said that during the upcoming meeting in Bucharest, NATO Foreign Ministers would address ways to step up support for Ukraine, as well as other partners, such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, and Moldova, facing Russian pressure.

On the eve before the meeting of #NATO Foreign Ministers in Bucharest 🇷🇴, Secretary General @jensstoltenberg met #Romania’s President @KlausIohannis, PM @NicolaeCiuca & FM @BogdanAurescu to discuss security in the #BlackSea region & Russia’s war against #Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/e0K4A01r0M
— Oana Lungescu (@NATOpress) November 28, 2022

During a post-meeting press conference, Stoltenberg stated that “Our task is to provide support to Ukraine, because we know that the only way to achieve an outcome of this war which ensures that Ukraine prevails as a sovereign independent nation is to strengthen their position on the battlefield.”

Stoltenberg further addressed the situation by stating, “Most likely the war will end at some stage at the negotiating table. But the outcome of those negotiations are totally dependent on the situation on the battlefield.”