Romanian president says Russian attack on NATO unlikely soon “But we must be prepared”

Romanian President Nicușor Dan has said a direct Russian attack on a NATO member is unlikely in the next one or two years, but European allies must be prepared for any scenario.

In an interview with CNN on the night of September 22, Dan acknowledged that Romania was not completely prepared for the threat posed by drones, although he said improvements had been made with US support.

Dan said few people had anticipated in 2020 or 2021 that Russia would invade Ukraine and attempt to capture Kyiv. He said European leaders were now taking the Russian threat more seriously, increasing defence spending and seeking to rebalance Europe's contribution to NATO compared with that of the United States.

He also said US President Donald Trump was right to demand greater financial involvement from European allies.

Dan backed maintaining a strong US military presence in Europe, including around the Black Sea and the Mediterranean. About 1,500 US troops are stationed in Romania, following the withdrawal of a rotating contingent of about 500 troops that had operated in Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary.

The Romanian president said he did not believe Russian drone incursions were intentional. However, he said disinformation, sabotage and attacks on critical infrastructure were intended to weaken public trust in governments and European support for Ukraine.

“In the case of drones, I would say that they are not intentional. But regarding disinformation, hybrid attacks, attacks on critical infrastructure, whether submarine or land-based, and sabotage, I believe they are trying to do two things,” Nicușor Dan said.

Dan is in New York attending the high-level meeting of the UN General Assembly.

By Aghakazim Guliyev