Klaus Iohannis Vows Support for Ukraine in NATO Bid
After declaring his candidacy for the NATO Secretary General position, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis emphasised in an interview with Politico his commitment to ensuring Ukraine's triumph in its existential struggle against Russia.
He urged NATO countries to embrace their moral, political, and strategic obligation to assist Kiev in its quest to join the alliance.
"Russia will continue to pose the most significant and direct threat to the Alliance in the near future," he asserted.
Iohannis would become the first NATO chief from a country that was once part of the Soviet bloc, yet he faces a challenging confrontation to surpass Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte.
The United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany – the four largest powers in NATO – have declared their support for Rutte.
Unanimous support from all member countries is required to elect the NATO chief.
Romania, the Baltic countries, and Turkey have not yet shown support for Rutte.
Sweden, which recently joined the alliance, has not publicly supported Rutte, despite Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson praising his Dutch counterpart in a Politico interview as "an extremely qualified person."
Klaus Iohannis presented himself as a candidate advocating for change within NATO.
"As our world becomes more complex and unpredictable, NATO must change and adapt. Our like-minded partners – primarily from the Indo-Pacific – will be the first with whom we will work to support international law and the rule-based order," said the President of Romania.
The same applies in the digital sphere, he said: "NATO can only stay ahead by accelerating its digital transformation and increasing investments in innovation."
It is worth mentioning that on March 12, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis announced his candidacy for the NATO Secretary General position. He stated that he takes on this responsibility on behalf of Romania with full accountability, driven by Romania's performance and his experience gained during his two presidential terms.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
