Romania’s plans to build the largest NATO base in Europe immediately got a lot of traction. There is a reason for that: located on the Black Sea in the northeast of the country, which borders Ukraine, the Mihail Kogălniceanu base can be seen as a symbol of NATO’s eastward expansion.
But how can one explain the project’s timing: why were the plans to build a NATO base bigger than Ramstein (Germany) or Aviano (Italy) unveiled now? And why was it decided to burden a relatively poor country with such a big project?
Here is an interesting detail: the news about the “finalization” of the project, which had long been in the making, came at an exceptionally good moment for Romania’s outgoing President Klaus Iohannis. Four days earlier, he announced his bid for the position of NATO general secretary.
Iohannis formally presented his candidacy in an article written for Politico, an American media outlet with a European edition. On March 12, he published an article headlined “Romanian President: a Vision for NATO’s Future.” On the same day, the main Romanian daily Adevarul announced that the state’s Foreign Ministry got an official order to support Iohannis’ candidacy by all means.
Bearing in mind all the risks that Romania takes with the project of the NATO base, one can’t escape the feeling that President Iohannis decided to endear himself to NATO while bidding for the top position in it. Iohannis’ other recent actions fit the same pattern.
On Monday, Iohannis, whose mandate is nearing its end, announced his decision to allow military materials given by Finland to Ukraine as a “gift" to transit through the country. In this way, Iohannis followed the general line of NATO aimed at supplying Kiev’s regime with deadly weapons.
Such supplies are not only in breach of international law, which prohibits flooding the zones of armed conflicts with imported arms. They also put the supplying countries, including Romania, at risk of confrontation with Russia.
The Russian Foreign Ministry sent a diplomatic note to all NATO countries, including Romania, warning them about the “dire consequences” of such actions. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stressed that any cargo that included weapons for Ukraine would become a “legitimate target” for Russia’s military.
All of these warnings, however, do not seem to bother Iohannis. Romania's Black Sea port of Сonstanta, located near the future largest NATO base in Europe, has long ago become a part of the infamous “South corridor” for arms shipments to Ukraine.
In his “NATO bid” article for Politico, Iohannis wrote six days ago: “There is nothing more important today than ensuring that Ukraine prevails in its existential battle, and we can do this by providing all necessary support for however long it takes. We also have a moral, political and strategic obligation to make sure Ukraine advances steadily on its path towards future NATO membership, as well as EU accession… And Russia will remain the most significant and direct threat to the Alliance in the foreseeable future.”
This perspective on Europe's relations with Russia is rather sobering, considering the aspirations of the individual seeking to become NATO's new general secretary. The potential for confrontation with a nuclear power in the foreseeable future places Romania in a precarious position, especially given its role in hosting the largest NATO base and supplying weapons to Ukraine. However, the decision-making regarding these actions lies beyond the influence of Romanian voters on Iohannis' future.