Romania Sets Example in EU Defence Spending, Says President Iohannis

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis emphasized the importance of increasing defence spending within the EU, stating that "Romania has set a good example." Speaking at an informal European Council meeting on defence, he highlighted Romania’s commitment, having already reached 2.5% of GDP in defence expenditure, CE Report quotes Agerpres

Iohannis stressed the need for better collaboration among EU defence industries and called for standardization to avoid excessive weapon diversity. He also supported additional common funding, though the exact financing mechanisms remain open for discussion.

The Romanian president reaffirmed that Romania does not support a separate European defence structure, emphasizing NATO’s central role in security. He noted that the European Commission has been tasked with drafting a White Paper on defence, with further discussions expected at the European Council meeting in June.