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As a NATO member, Romania is not forced to go to war, not even in the worst-case scenario in which the Russian Federation went to war with Ukraine, says Romania's Defence Minister Vasile Dincu.
He was asked on Sunday if Romanian men, especially young men, should be afraid that they would be drafted given the situation in the region.
"You shouldn't be worried at all, and I want to bring you some very pragmatic arguments: first of all because Romania as a member of a strong defence system, the strongest - which NATO is - is not forced to go to war at this time, not even in the worst-case scenario when the Russian Federation forces its way into Ukraine. Because, as [NATO secretary general] Stoltenberg recently said, the NATO Treaty provides for possible military intervention only if a country that is a member of NATO has been attacked, that's how NATO solidarity works. Ukraine is not [a member state]; it is trying to become a NATO member, but it does not have this status yet," Dincu told Prima TV private broadcaster on Sunday.
He added that not even Ukraine has mobilised its military reserve.
"It has been under attack, but it has not mobilised its reserve, so that is not the case at the moment," Dincu added.
He said that for those who want to join the army, there are opportunities developed by the Defence Ministry.
"For example, voluntary enlistment is a modern system, a NATO system in which, in order to increase the military reserve, in addition to the existing reserve, we also need reservists who sign up, get short-term military training and certain benefits, such as a salary for the time they work as civilians at their workplace," said Dancu.
