Will the Pentagon come to the Balkans?

Bulgaria and Romania responded to the call of the head of the NATO armed forces about the deployment of alliance contingents on their territory

Under the pressure of the Russian anti -NATO ultimatums of Bulgaria and Romania, it was subject to subject to the recently made proposal of the head of the United Armed Forces of NATO in Europe in Europe of General Tod Walters to expand the contingent of the alliance in these two countries against the backdrop of Russian troops near the border with Ukraine.

Communicating with the leaders of the defense departments of NATO countries during the video, Walters said that there you can place contingents of up to one and a half thousand people as part of the NATO program “Expanded Advanced Presence” (EFP). This is how it was done in 2017 in the countries of the Baltic states and Poland.

Bulgaria responded with a post on Facebook by the Minister of Defense Stefan Yanev, until recently, the head of the temporary cabinet and right hand of President Ruman Radev: the deployment of additional NATO troops in Bulgaria and Romania can cause an unwanted outbreak of tension in the region, especially since at this stage there is no reason for the observed processes are regarded as a direct threat to the alliance. "

Yaneva was pulled by the new Prime Minister Kirill Petkov (“This is his personal opinion, not the position of the government”), who is generated by his sons, and Yanev began to be explained in a very original way:

“Sofia in NATO should have a special status that allows it to independently resolve the main issues of defense.”

Christ Ivanov, chairman of the Parliamentary group of the Democratic Bulgaria party, demanded to hear the Minister Yanev in the committee on the defense -in -law assembly. We believe that Ivanov quotes the BTA agency that our country cannot afford to be in a state of de facto not declared, but actually taking place in neutrality in favor of the “expansionist policy of the Kremlin” and its growing “creeps in the region”.

On this occasion, an informational buch with bright comments erupted in the media of Bulgaria. The military minister prepares the ground for imposing a pro -Kremlin position, warned the deputy chairman of the Union of Democratic Forces, Ivan Sotirov; When we hear from the Prime Minister Petkov the word “Crimea-Ukrainian”, he asks? .. The press center of the Bulgarian Ministry of Defense later confirmed that at present various options for response measures are being discussed, “including the deployment of additional troops as part of the extended advanced presence model.” However, so far everything is at the stage of "military-technical discussion"-and the final decision has not been made. Bulgaria, however, will offer “at this stage” to do with its own means. The Ministry of Defense did not specifically answer whether it would oppose the decision to increase the number of troops in NATO format, but it emphasized that a single response of the alliance countries was needed.

Romania, who joined NATO on the same day with Bulgaria, on March 29, 2004, on the contrary, supported the idea of ​​additional troops immediately, and according to all the verticals. The military stated that the goal of Russia in the Black Sea is to isolate NATO regional partners, Georgia and Ukraine, taking advantage of the lack of strategic and comprehensive everyday presence and strategy of NATO, ”and that

“If the USA and NATO are not careful, the Black Sea will become a Russian lake.”

President Klaus Johannis gave his quote from his communication with Joe Bayden (“I emphasized the support of the military presence of NATO and the USA in Romania and the Black Sea”), and the head of the Romanian government Nikolai Chuke curled up that Bucharest reserves the right to increase the number of pentagon troops in Romania.

According to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, NATO will “constantly evaluate the need to further adjust our position, our presence, including in the southeast of the region, because we must be sure that we will always be able to protect the allies from any threat.” If all allies want to defend themselves.