Băsescu rejects payment for US troops in Romania and criticizes the US's 'fool's policy'

Update

Traian Băsescu: 'Fool's policy' spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on pictures with Trump

Former President of Romania, Traian Băsescu, characterized Bucharest's previous policy towards the United States as a 'fool's policy,' stating that no coherent strategy was pursued from 2004. According to Băsescu, this approach involved significant expenses to obtain meetings and press photos at Mar-a-Lago, including through lobbying firms that substituted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. ^[2]

Băsescu explained that, in the absence of access to President Trump, Romania should have consolidated relations with the US Congress, both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Instead, previous administrations clung to the idea of a direct meeting with the American president, ignoring the need to build strong institutional links. ^[2]

Regarding the recent US election results and the change of power by the Democrats, the former president rejected the idea that Romania should 'switch sides' to the new Democratic majority. He described this approach as 'naivety worthy of a state where the government is composed of illiterates.' ^[2]

Băsescu reaffirmed that Romania's strategic partner is America, regardless of whether Democrats or Republicans are in power. During his term, he maintained relationships with both major parties, without hesitation in meeting politicians from any faction in the House of Representatives or the Senate. ^[2]

Update

Băsescu: 'Fool's policy' cost hundreds of thousands of dollars for pictures with Trump

Former President Traian Băsescu stated that Romania followed a 'fool's policy' in its relationship with the United States since 2004, spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on meetings and press photos at Mar-a-Lago or through lobbying firms that substituted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Băsescu explained that when President Trump was not accessible, Romania should have consolidated relations with the US Congress, either through meetings with members of the House of Representatives or the Senate. Instead of building this solid institutional link, previous administrations clung to the idea of a direct meeting between the Romanian and American presidents. The former leader criticized the suggestion that Romania should change its political alliance based on the US election results, considering it naive to think it should 'switch sides' with the Democrats once they took power. Băsescu reaffirmed that Romania's strategic partner is America itself, not a specific party, Democrats or Republicans. During his term, he maintained relations with both major parties, considering that foreign policy should not be tied to the person of the US president. ^[3]

Update

Băsescu: 'Fool's policy' cost hundreds of thousands of dollars for pictures with Trump

Former President Traian Băsescu characterized Romania's policy towards the United States in recent years as a 'fool's policy,' arguing that Bucharest spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to obtain meetings and press photos at Mar-a-Lago or through lobbying agencies that replaced the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. ^[4]

In an interview with B1 TV, Băsescu emphasized that a definitive policy was lacking since 2004, adding that when President Trump was not accessible, Romania should have consolidated relations with the US Congress, either through meetings with members of the House of Representatives or the Senate. Instead, previous administrations clung to the idea of a direct meeting between the presidents of the two states, which the former leader criticized as useless 'for the sake of being seen.' ^[4]

Băsescu rejected the idea that Romania should change its political alignment based on the results of the US presidential elections, criticizing as 'an approach of naivety worthy of a state where the Government is composed of illiterates' the suggestion to 'switch sides' with the Democrats. ^[4]

The former president reaffirmed that Romania's strategic partner is the United States of America, regardless of whether Democrats or Republicans are in power. 'We are bound to America, not to the president. Perhaps this can be understood by our own politicians along with this electoral event,' concluded Traian Băsescu, invoking the practice during his term of maintaining relations with both major US parties. ^[4]

Update

Băsescu rejects payment for US troops: 'We don't buy mercenaries'

Former President Traian Băsescu qualified the idea that Romania should pay for the presence of American troops on national territory as a 'bad Polish idea,' rejecting the hypothesis that the Romanian state should 'buy mercenaries.' In an intervention on B1 TV, Băsescu raised the logical question of financial and operational implications: if stationing is paid for, what happens when fighting is needed and those forces do not receive orders to engage in combat? The politician highlighted the illogical nature of such a system, noting: 'Yes, you pay them to stay. And if you don't have an order to fight? What happens if you pay to station 2,000 soldiers in the Kogălniceanu base and when it comes time to fight they have no order to fight? Such a system cannot function,' affirmed Traian Băsescu. As a viable cooperation model, Băsescu invoked the example of the Deveselu base, where both parties contributed to the infrastructure: Romania with land, money, and logistics, and the US with technology. He specified that costs must be shared proportionally with the increase in the contingent, respecting NATO rules and conditions, as the country does with the French contingent in Cincu. ^[5]

Regarding the financial dynamics mentioned by the local press, linked to the visit of Pentagon Deputy Minister Elbridge Colby to Bucharest, Băsescu firmly rejected the idea that Romania should accept a 'mercenary' model for defense. The politician mentioned that rumors about Bucharest's willingness to pay for the maintenance of military forces would be contrary to national interests and transatlantic alliance principles. ^[5]

Update

Băsescu: 'Fool's policy' cost hundreds of thousands of dollars for pictures with Trump

Former President Traian Băsescu reiterated the deficiency of the foreign policy towards the United States, qualifying it as a 'fool's policy that spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to pass through Mar-a-Lago and take pictures with one of those models of Trump, or to use lobbying firms that substitute the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.' Băsescu contested the idea that Romania should be part of a 'camp,' either the Republican or the Democratic one. 'I am neither mysterious nor ironic: we did not have any policy towards the United States in recent years, since 2004. We only had the fool's policy... Normally, if President Trump was not accessible to us, we should have consolidated relations with the US Congress, whether it was meetings with people from the House of Representatives or the Senate, to continue building. We simply clung to this idea: we want our president to meet with Trump. I said last year: the meeting will take place when necessary, not for the sake of being seen,' declared Traian Băsescu on Thursday evening on B1 TV, according to News.ro. He criticized the approach according to which Romania should choose 'a camp' between Republicans and Democrats. 'And there is another theory I see (...), to be careful how we behave with some, how we behave with others, because now the Democrats have come to power, we must switch to their camp. It is an approach of naivety worthy of a state where the Government is composed of illiterates. You cannot have such a policy. Always, or at least during my term, the approach has been single: our partner is America, neither Democrats nor Republicans. (...) Our policy cannot be tied to the president, we are tied to America, not to the president. Perhaps this can be understood by our own politicians along with this electoral event,' added Traian Băsescu. ^[6]