In his first press conference since becoming interim president, held on Friday, February 28, Ilie Bolojan said that discussing peacekeeping troops in Ukraine is premature, since no peace agreement was reached. He also discussed increasing Romania’s defense spending, the relationship with the United States, and the reconstruction of Ukraine.

The press conference was organised after Ilie Bolojan's consultations with the leaders of the main parliamentary parties, held with the aim of preparing Romania's stance for the extraordinary European Council meeting on March 6 in Brussels. The agenda includes important topics such as continued support for Ukraine and increasing defense spending amid the ongoing geopolitical challenges.

Peacekeepers in Ukraine 

Interim president Ilie Bolojan argued that discussing sending peacekeeping troops in Ukraine is premature in the absence of peace accords.

“I hope and would like to see a peace agreement, but such an agreement will require guarantees; otherwise, it will not be functional. These guarantees will likely involve a concentration of peacekeeping forces. We could serve as a hub for the transit of these troops,” Bolojan stated. 

He added, “These troops could serve as peacekeeping forces, similar to those in Bosnia or Kosovo, operating under a UN mandate or other international mandates. There has been no substantive positioning, and based on the stances of political parties, there is no parliamentary support for such a move."

The interim president also said that everyone wants the conflict to end, and that the provision of financial and military aid to Ukraine will be decided next week.

The statements come as NATO countries discuss the idea of a multinational peacekeeping force as a potential security guarantee for Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire. In response, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that Russia was concerned by the idea.

Romanian prime minister, coalition candidate oppose sending peacekeeping troops 

On Thursday, February 27, prime minister Marcel Ciolacu stated that Romania will not send peacekeeping troops to Ukraine and that the interim president, Ilie Bolojan, will convey this position at the European Council.

"I do not agree with sending forces, and I have also spoken with the interim president, and this is the decision that he will also convey at the European Council. Romania will not participate with forces on Ukrainian territory. First, a peace agreement must be reached. Romania needs to stabilize its own situation; we have the longest border with Ukraine, we have the Black Sea, and Romania can most easily strengthen the eastern flank on its own territory, not by deploying troops to a conflict zone," said the prime minister, cited by G4Media.

Marcel Ciolacu emphasized that Romania wants a lasting peace in Ukraine and that "tens of thousands of people are dying every week in that war."

The prime minister echoed Crin Antonescu, the ruling coalition's joint candidate for the presidency, who ruled out the possibility of Romania sending peacekeeping troops to Ukraine as part of an international effort.

"If I become president, we will not send troops to Ukraine. Period. We will continue to support Ukraine logistically and politically," Antonescu stated in a Facebook post.

Turkey, the NATO member with the second-largest army, said it is open to sending peacekeepers to Ukraine after peace is obtained, according to Bloomberg.

US peace negotiations with Russia

Ilie Bolojan noted that the United States resumed diplomatic dialogue with Russia under the Trump administration. He said, “These are a first step toward a ceasefire but, more importantly, toward a lasting peace that we all desire, which would mean stability at our eastern borders."

However, the Romanian interim president noted that a ceasefire that is not followed by a peace agreement providing guarantees for stability may only serve as an interlude before the conflict reignites.

“For us, supporting stability to protect both the Republic of Moldova and Romania is a crucial issue. We have supported and will continue to support the presence of European representatives in the negotiations. During the consultations, we expressed our country’s willingness to continue supporting Ukraine, as this is not only about aiding a victim against an aggressor but also about ensuring our own national security,” Bolojan argued.

He also noted that Romania owes its development to its membership in the European Union and its steady inflow of funds. 

Gradual increase in defense spending

In the same press conference, Ilie Bolojan also discussed Romania’s defense spending, in connection to the war in Ukraine.

“Romania has increased its defense budget. In 2023, it was below 1.5%. In 2024, it surpassed 2.2%. There is a political consensus to support this increase in defense spending, one that exists in almost all countries. These are the key points I will advocate for on behalf of Romania in future meetings,” he told journalists.

According to the Romanian official, the defense budget could increase gradually to reach 3% within one to two years and that the increase could be excluded from deficit targets.

“Given Romania’s significant deficit, no government can ignore the need to reduce budgetary expenditures and access European funds to ensure that increasing the defense budget remains sustainable,” Bolojan argued.

radu@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Presidency.ro)