President Dan seeks Parliament's approval for military participation in multinational command supporting Ukraine

 President Nicusor Dan has asked Parliament to approve the participation of up to 20 Romanian military personnel in the Operational Headquarters for the Multinational Force supporting Ukraine and its subordinate command-and-control structures.The joint Standing Bureaus of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate decided on Tuesday to refer the request to the defence committees, after which it is to be placed on the agenda of a joint sitting of Parliament."The Russian Federation's military aggression against Ukraine has led to a significant deterioration of the European security environment at regional level, placing the countries of the Black Sea region, including Romania, in an area of persistent insecurity. Against this backdrop, the Coalition of the Willing for Ukraine was established with the aim of providing Ukraine, following the conclusion of a ceasefire agreement, with a system of political and legal guarantees. In order to implement political-level decisions in the military field, the Operational Headquarters for the Multinational Force supporting Ukraine was activated in 2025 as a rotational structure alternating between France and the United Kingdom," according to the letter sent to Parliament on 30 March.The document says that planning within the headquarters takes place at strategic level, is geared towards achieving the strategic objectives of the Coalition of the Willing and is intended to ensure that operations are conducted using the available resources as efficiently as possible."The Romanian Armed Forces can contribute staff personnel to the Headquarters and its subordinate command-and-control structures in critical areas such as strategic planning, current operations, cybersecurity and cyber defence. The participation of the Romanian Armed Forces in this initiative would help increase our visibility, advance our national interests and demonstrate a proactive approach, as well as continuity in relations with our strategic partners," the president said.Nicusor Dan also said that "this contribution would be aligned with national commitments aimed at promoting stability and security in Romania's neighbourhood, as well as strengthening Romania's profile as a strategic actor".The presidential letter stresses that "the framework nations have underlined that participation at this stage in the planning process does not entail an obligation to deploy capabilities on Ukrainian territory and that any potential future contributions will be subject to national restrictions and approvals"."Consequently, in line with Romania's consistent position on the conflict in Ukraine, Romania's status within the EU, our country's geographical position and the relevant provisions of Law No. 291/2007, I ask you to approve the participation of the Romanian Armed Forces, starting in the second quarter of 2026, with up to 20 military personnel serving as staff officers within the Operational Headquarters for the Multinational Force supporting Ukraine and its subordinate command-and-control structures," the document says.The president also asked Parliament to approve arrangements allowing Romania's contribution to the Operational Headquarters for the Multinational Force supporting Ukraine and its subordinate command-and-control structures to be reconfigured with the approval of the national defence minister, within the maximum personnel levels provided for and approved.