FROM EIR DAILY ALERT
Russia Thanks Romanian Defense Minister for Truth About U.S. BMD Installation in Romania
Aug. 4, 2018 (EIRNS)—Romanian Defense Minister Mihai Fifor caused a firestorm this week, when he said, either deliberately or inadvertently—or was misinterpreted, as he claimed afterwards—that the United States has ballistic missiles at the Deveselu base, where the U.S./NATO Aegis Ashore missile defense installation is located. Judging from the report in the British Daily Express tabloid, Fifor was apparently bragging in a July 31 interview with the Antena 3 TV broadcaster that the U.S. military buildup in Romania, plus Romania’s own growing capabilities, would anger Russian President Vladimir Putin. “Obviously, President Putin will not be extremely delighted that very serious military capabilities are being developed in Romania,” he said, according to Romania’s Agerpres national news agency.
“How could President Putin ever be excited about the fact that in Romania there is the military base at Deveselu with ballistic missiles? How could President Putin ever be delighted that we have a base at Mihail Kogalniceanu populated with American soldiers, and we continue to insist on the U.S. under the strategic partnership to secure the continuity of U.S. troops on Romania’s soil?”
The Russians took Fifor’s statement as proof of what they’ve been saying about the BMD installation all along.
“Fifor’s statement is another proof that the American shield in Deveselu is a direct and immediate threat to Russian national security. Thank you for this spontaneous truth, Mr. Fifor!”
wrote Pavel Alexeyenko, a diplomat at the Russian Embassy in Bucharest, on social media.
Later, Fifor corrected himself, claiming he’d never said that there were ballistic missiles at Deveselu and accused “some officials” of misinterpreting what he said.
“I want to emphasize something as clear and firm as possible: Romania, and I emphasize, Romania does not have ballistic missiles at Deveselu base, and I think it’s time for us to stop with these speculations because they are not things that should reach the political dialogue area,”
he said. According to TASS, the leaders of three opposition parties in Romania have called for Fifor’s resignation.
