Radu Burnete, advisor to President Nicușor Dan: "Mark Rutte sent a very clear message today: Romania has allies it can rely on. At that table, you must also pay for the consumption, not just drink the water."

Radu Burnete, advisor to President Nicușor Dan, stated that Romania benefits from military support from allies, but it is essential for society to be aware of the recent changes in the world and the associated risks. He claims that Romania needs to develop a professional army and a robust defense industry. Burnete emphasized that an enhanced military capacity will increase Romania's freedom of action and make the country a more valuable ally in the EU and NATO.

He also addressed criticisms regarding loans for strengthening defense, arguing that it is necessary to allocate more resources for defense, despite the budget deficit. Burnete welcomed the investments of Rheinmetall in Romania and expressed hope that the country will not need these tools, but must be prepared to defend itself.

"Mark Rutte sent a very clear message today: Romania has allies it can rely on. If Romania is attacked, 31 states will jump to its defense. At the same time, we must also do our homework as best as we can. We have seen too many things said too easily in the public space. It is important for our society to realize how much the world has changed in recent years and how dangerous it has become.

Isn't that what we always say we want? To sit at the table of the big players? Well, at that table, you also have to pay for your consumption, not just drink the water. Talking is less productive offline. A serious defense industry also has multiple economic benefits. I keep hearing critics that Romania accesses the SAFE program and takes loans to strengthen its defense when our deficit is very high. Or that we should not support Ukraine anymore (even though we do so with 0.2% of GDP). It is true that we have borrowed unnecessarily when we saw what was happening around us. We need to reduce the deficit and allocate more to defense at the same time. We have no choice." writes Radu Burnete on Facebook, Wednesday evening, after the visit of NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte to Bucharest.