German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited Romania on Monday to underscore Western support for Romania, an important NATO ally that borders Ukraine and also for neighboring Moldova, which has come under pressure since Russia’s invasion last year.
Moldovan President Maia Sandu, who has accused Moscow of stirring unrest in her country of 2.6 million which also borders Ukraine was to have talks with Scholz and Romanian President Klaus Iohannis in Bucharest later Monday.
Russia denies trying to destabilize Moldova, which aspires to join the European Union.
Scholz’s visit to Bucharest comes a day after German armsmaker Rheinmetall announced it was setting up a maintenance and logistics hub in northern Romania to service weapons used in Ukraine.
Scholz praised Romania’s willingness to take in refugees who fled the war in Ukraine, adding: “Germany stands firmly by Romania’s side.”
Asked why Romania specifically had been chosen to host Rheinmetall’s servicing hub, Scholz said other European countries would also open maintenance centers to repair weapons such as tanks and Howitzers deployed against Russian forces.
Iohannis urged NATO to increase its presence in the Black Sea. Russia and Ukraine both share a coastline on the Black Sea, along with NATO members Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey.
Iohannis also stressed the importance of supporting Moldova’s “stability and resilience”.
“Moldova’s situation is very much complicated by hybrid attacks from Russia. A major complication is the large number of Ukrainian refugees and the impact of the war in Ukraine on the Moldovan economy,” the Romanian president said.
Scholz on Monday also said he supported Romania’s bid to join the EU’s passport-free Schengen Zone this year, saying Bucharest fulfilled all the criteria. Romania and its southern neighbor Bulgaria have been kept out of the Schengen area due to concerns about unauthorized immigration.
