One in five Romanians believes that NATO will not defend Romania’s territory in the context of an increased risk of war between Russia and Ukraine. The study was ordered by Strategic Thinking Group, the opinion poll being conducted between January 11 and 18, 2022.
20% of Romanians do not believe that NATO will provide the necessary assistance to Romania to deal with enemy forces that could enter the Romanian territory. Even though the percentage is one of the lowest in the European Union, the fact that it exists is enough to fuel criticism towards the alliance in case of any conflict.
At the moment, there are few political and public figures to oppose NATO presence on Romania’s territory, but, as usually happens, their number could increase depending on the regional context and military events or, God forbid, confrontations in the area.
Moreover, the same study shows that 20% think Romania should leave NATO. It’s a small percentage, but the grain of distrust is still there. Notably enough, the rate of Romanians opposing the country’s presence in the European Union is higher, as it appears in other opinion polls.
Meanwhile, the trust of Romanians seem to increase in international personalities such as Joe Biden, President of the USA (34.4% compared to 25.9% in September 2021, 36.4% in June 2021 and 41.6% in March 2021), and even Vladimir Putin, Russia’s president (23.3% compared to 21% in September 2021, 23.9% in June 2021 and 19% in March 2021). Visibility seems to be the key here: the more visible the leader, the higher trust from Romanian people.
Overall, the Romanians’ confidence in NATO remains high up to a certain level, but many Romanians hope that the war could be avoided. Such an event near Romania’s borders could significantly affect the country’s economy.
The USA already decided to increase the number of troops within Romania’s borders, while other countries, such as France, announced they could send troops to Romania.
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