Băsescu, about the stakes of Macron's offer: “Now you don't know if nuclear protection in NATO is stronger than Trump's friendship with Putin”
Traian Basescu. Inquam Photos / Ioana Zamfir
Former president Traian Băsescu declared that a possible entry of European countries under the French nuclear umbrella, “broadly speaking, decouples the European Union from the United States from the point of view of security”. On the other hand, he questioned the loyalty of the current US president to Washington's commitments, saying that in the case of Donald Trump “you never know if he will honor his commitments or not, if he will honor Article 5 or not.”
Official sources from the Presidential Administration said that Romania is analyzing a proposal made by French President Emmanuel Macron to extend the French nuclear umbrella to other European states. According to the sources, Romania participated in the discussions on this topic.
Romania is analyzing Macron's proposal to enter under France's nuclear umbrella. “Discussions are early days”
“It doesn't surprise me and it was very clear that the offer is to all the countries of the European Union, so Romania was in the package even if nothing had been announced. It's a very delicate issue. We have to bear in mind that, on the one hand, the president of the United States now in office is a person who can make a decision today, tomorrow, another, and who asks Europe to defend itself, and only when he believes that Europe needs to be supported to support it,” said Traian Băsescu, on Tuesday evening, at B1 TV.
Instead, the former Romanian head of state believes, advancing on this path can decouple the EU from the US from a security perspective.
“We have nuclear protection as a NATO member, but nuclear protection that now you don't know if it is stronger than Trump's friendship with Putin or if it is weaker. It is very difficult to decide,” Băsescu continued.
“France does not have its nuclear arsenal integrated into the NATO system”
Traian Băsescu is of the opinion that “France must greatly increase its nuclear capacity until it can conveniently cover nuclear protection responsibilities”.
“As far as I'm concerned, I would also analyze the fact that France does not have its nuclear arsenal integrated into the NATO system. Basically, France returned to NATO on the occasion of the Bucharest Summit in 2008, but without introducing its nuclear arsenal into the NATO system, which remained at the disposal of the French president,” he added.
The former president said the decision was a “difficult” one.
“Especially because we have to keep in mind that even Trump will not be around forever and probably the next president will be more balanced, more predictable, or we must be convinced that he respects the treaties to which he is a party”, Traian Băsescu also declared.
