Romanian presidential candidate talks about possible use of NATO base against Russian Federation

The Mihail Cogalniceanu military base in Constanta (southeastern Romania), which will become the largest NATO military base in Europe, could be used as a springboard for starting a war against Russia. This was stated by independent Romanian presidential candidate Calin Georgescu in an interview with former U.S. Navy Special Forces Sean Ryan on January 11. A video of the conversation is posted on the website of Romanian TV channel Digi 24.

"Is the international community pretending as if it doesn't see what is happening in Romania, or is there a direct interest to use Romania as a detonator for a dangerous precedent? No one has the right to play with peace and democracy!", he commented.

According to Georgescu, the silence of the US and its allied countries on what is happening in Romania shows their complete lack of understanding of the situation.

"Thus, this NATO base <...> will be used to launch a major offensive in Russia. <...> Romania is being pushed to join the war," he announced.

"NATO makes no secret of its intentions to turn Romania into an anti-Russian outpost"

Russian Ambassador to Bucharest Vladimir Lipaev - on militarization of the Black Sea region, trade between our countries and blacklists

Earlier, on June 21, 2024, U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, in a meeting with Romanian Foreign Minister Luminica Odobesca, described Romania's role on NATO's eastern flank as key. He said Washington and Bucharest discussed security topics in the Black Sea.

In March, Romanian television reported that the largest NATO military base in Europe will appear on the territory of the state. It could be deployed by 2040 after the expansion of the 57th air base of the country's air force (Air Force) named after Mihail Cogalniceanu.

As military expert Vladimir Evseev noted in a conversation with Izvestia, the creation of the largest NATO military base in Romania is still more of a plan than a reality. According to him, now there is a combat group of the alliance's troops of up to 1.5 thousand people on the territory of the country, and next year it is planned to be increased to a brigade of 4 thousand troops. The specialist believes that the construction of "Mihail Kogalniceanu" implies the deployment of this very brigade.