Dan opposes Romanian peacekeepers in Ukraine but affirms pro-Kyiv course

Romania should continue supporting Ukraine, but without taking part in a potential peacekeeping force, Romanian President-elect Nicusor Dan said in an interview with Politico published on May 21.

"First, to have a big operational support on Romanian territory, yes. To be part of the armies guaranteeing peace in Ukraine, no," Dan told Politico when asked about Bucharest's possible involvement in the mission.

"I think it would not be very appropriate because of the tension that already exists between Romania and Russia."

A potential deployment of international peacekeepers has been discussed within the British- and French-led coalition of the willing.

The ambitious plan, presented as a way to provide security guarantees to Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression, has eventually been scaled down over political disagreements and military capacity issues.

Dan, a pro-EU centrist who defeated hard-right, anti-Ukraine George Simion in a presidential election on May 18, lauded Europe's effort to support "Ukraine until they obtain the most reasonable peace for themselves."

The president-elect also criticized U.S. President Donald Trump's strategy in brokering a peace deal with Russia and stressed that nothing can be decided without Ukraine's involvement.

Ukraine's neighbor and NATO member, Romania, has been a key ally to Kyiv during Russia's full-scale invasion, providing a Patriot air defense missile system and facilitating the transit of Ukrainian grain amid Russian threats to Black Sea shipping.