DSM Conference: The United States maintains its commitments / EU is not designed for collective defence

Conference’s main ideas:

- The United States maintains its commitments and partnership across the North-Atlantic Alliance;

- We must adapt fast to changes in the Black Sea area;

- Romania is a key element in terms of Security;

- The European Army is an important project, but today security can only be ensured by NATO;

- EU cannot ensure a collective defence;

- Russia will not attack NATO, but it can still bother Alliance’s members;

- Russia uses propaganda to destabilize the population;

- NATO countries must strengthen the cyber-risks’ combat.

The main statements across the Defence and Security Conference (DSM):

“The United States maintains its commitments and partnership across the North-Atlantic Alliance”- General Charles Wald, former Commander of the US Command in Europe.

“South-East Europe became NATO’s key element in terms of defence, given that Russia became more aggressive, and China more influent”- General Charles Wald, former Commander of the US Command in Europe.

“Now, there are played all sort of games in the area, aiming at disturbing NATO’s activity. The Black Sea area does not work by the book, we must adapt fast” – George Ciamba, the Deputy Minister of European Affairs.

“When talking about a European Army, it is important to ensure security, but now this security can only be ensured by NATO” – George Ciamba, the Deputy Minister of European Affairs.

“Romania is an essential element in terms of security in South-East Europe”- Arnold Dupuy, US Defence Department analyst.

“Energetic security is very important”- Arnold Dupuy, US Defence Department analyst.

“Putin (…) will not attack NATO because, although he is crazy, he is not completely crazy, because he does not know how we could fight back. Thus, he has at least six elements he can disturb us with each day: Ukraine, the Black Sea, Belarus- if he unites with Belarus we will witness another Ukraine example, this is realistic, more realistic than an invasion in Finland- Republic of Moldova, The Balkans, now the hypersonic armament, the INF Treaty (the Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty)”- Hans Lothar Domröse, former commander of Allied Joint Forces Command from Brunssum.

“The Russians are concerned not with our actions, but all the movements happening inside of it. They have started to act against the media and the civil society”- Carol Rollie Flynn, CIA expert in terrorism combat.

“EU has decided to strengthen its capacities to improve its defence. (…) The only organization which is offering collective defence and is ensuring security is NATO, no one else. EU is not designed for collective defence”- Hans Lothar Domröse, former commander of Allied Joint Forces Command from Brunssum.

“Russia uses propaganda to destabilize the population, to influence the global public opinion”- Anthony Pfaff, Military Profession Ethic professor at the U.S Army War College.

“When an enemy launches cyber-attacks”, like perturbing the electricity or water systems, “it must be stopped”. “Data circulation represents intelligence security system’s life”- Jeffrey Bonvicin, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory adviser.