The deployment of NATO soldiers should allow the Allies to show "flawless unity" after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, said French Minister of the Armed Forces, Florence Parly, on Sunday March 6 in Romania.

The Allies' commitment "is not offensive, it is defensive. The Alliance does not threaten Russia. Europe does not threaten Russia. Nobody threatens Russia", insisted the minister in front of a thousand soldiers of seven NATO nations, at the Mihail-Kogalniceanu base located near Constanta, in the south-east of the country.

“On the other hand, it is up to us to show Russia that our unity is flawless when it comes to defending our allies,” the minister continued.

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500 French soldiers deployed

"You are the shield that protects Euro-Atlantic values," replied Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, present at his side during the ceremony on the tarmac of the base, battered by an icy wind, and where were installed for the different armored vehicles and helicopter gunships.

France has urgently deployed nearly 500 French soldiers since the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24, accompanied by nearly 300 Belgian soldiers.

Nearly a thousand American soldiers were already stationed on the base, sent as reinforcements in February.

"I am very proud to see French soldiers deployed today alongside Romanian, American, Belgian, Dutch, Italian and German soldiers on this base and under the banner of the Atlantic Alliance", underlined the French minister.

"With this first deployment of the first echelon of NATO's rapid reaction force, we are showing the ability of French and allied forces to project themselves on very short notice", she added, while the rotations of the planes transport continued on Saturday to continue to transport the necessary equipment to this base located less than 200 kilometers from the border with Ukraine.

A "unitary and rapid" response

The Romanian president, who was accompanied by his Prime Minister and Defense Minister, hailed a "unitary and rapid" response from NATO countries to the Russian attack.

I "thank you for the speed with which you deployed", Florence Parly later said to a few French soldiers gathered, saying she was sure of "being able to count on your vigilance, your professionalism", echoing the message to the armies of the President Emmanuel Macron, who called on them to "the necessary restraint during possible interference" to avoid incidents.

The deployment of French elements "is also the concrete manifestation of France's desire to deploy in Romania as the framework nation of a NATO force, as the President of the Republic had announced, from the month of January," the minister told the military.

This Franco-Belgian deployment takes place within the framework of the NATO reaction force.

But in January, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that he was ready to deploy French soldiers in Romania on a permanent basis, as part of a so-called "eFP" deployment (reinforced forward presence), on the model of what the Alliance in the Baltic countries and in Poland, showing a clear desire to want to "work" to strengthen the south-eastern flank of NATO.

France is also mobilizing air assets with this in mind, carrying out air policing operations in the region with fighters taking off from the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier cruising in the Mediterranean and planes taking off from France.

“NATO is in the process of finalizing the decision” on a possible eFP deployment in Romania, the minister told the press, adding that a ministerial meeting of the Alliance is scheduled for March 16.

"We are ready, we are here", declared the minister, to take the direction of this force.

With AFP

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