Former president Traian Băsescu argues that Europe must build its own military capacity in the context of tensions within NATO and the positions expressed by Donald Trump.
The statements come after Trump’s criticisms of European allies and amid discussions about NATO’s involvement in the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz.
"Plan B is the European Army"
Former president Traian Băsescu argues that the European Union must reduce its dependence on the US and develop its own military capacity.
He states that "the plan B can only be the establishment of a European Army," which would operate as a NATO partner, but without Europe depending "on an unstable person like Donald Trump."
Băsescu strongly criticized the positions of the American leader, accusing him of favoring Russia and trying to discredit the defense capabilities of European states.
Criticism of the US Strategy in Iran
At the same time, Băsescu warns that Iran must not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons, but he believes that the current US strategy is wrong.
He says that only the US has the capacity to stop the Iranian nuclear program through effective intervention, but he accuses that the current approach is not yielding results.
The former president also recalled that Trump withdrew the US from the nuclear deal with Iran in his first term, a decision that, in his opinion, contributed to the current situation.
"Iran's Victory Would Mean a Closed Strait of Hormuz"
Băsescu warns that a potential success by Iran would have major consequences for global security.
According to him, such a development would mean the blocking of the Strait of Hormuz and the destabilization of the entire Middle East, with the risk of Iran acquiring nuclear weapons in the coming years.
Europe Does Not Function Like the US
The former president highlighted the differences between the American and European political systems, pointing out that EU leaders cannot make unilateral military decisions.
He says that, unlike the US, parliamentary approvals are required in Europe for such actions, and this is ignored or used propagandistically by Trump in his NATO discourse.
The Solution: Regional Alliances Within NATO
In this context, Băsescu proposes the development of regional alliances between European states.
He mentioned the Romania-Poland-Turkey trilateral initiative, launched during his tenure, which he considers a model for strengthening regional security.
According to the former president, such partnerships would allow countries in the region to more effectively ensure their defense, alongside NATO structures.