Romania’s defence spending will not double from one year to the next because our country, in this regard, is in a better position than the EU average, said Interim President Ilie Bolojan on Thursday after the European Council meeting.

He explained that Romania’s defence spending represented over 2.2% of GDP last year, while the EU average was 1.9%.

„From this point of view, Romania is doing much better, and doubling military spending from one year to the next is out of the question. There will certainly be a tendency to increase, and it is very likely that, every year, following a growth that is manageable from all points of view, we will have this phenomenon,” said the interim president.

According to Bolojan, these additional defence expenditures are for Romania’s security.

„So, the security aspect, as long as it exists and is in good condition, is not perceived. (…) We cannot deny that we have a war at our borders, not exactly at our borders, but it is very clear that if this so-called neo-imperial vocation of Russia continues in the coming years, Ukraine could just be the first victim. And then, in today’s document, these countries appreciate that Russia is a threat to the countries of the European Union, and I believe that all of us on the Eastern border, all those who have experienced history’s trials, understand more acutely what this is about. And, practically, these additional defence expenditures are expenditures for the safety of our country. This is the reality,” the interim president also said.

AGERPRES