France's Military Expansion in Romania Under NATO's Directive

France is quietly increasing its military presence in Romania, a NATO 'eastern flank' country. The plan is to deploy thousands more French troops for major military drills planned for next year. French General Bertrand Toujouse has been quoted as saying that the military is no longer just playing war games, but is now training with a designated enemy in mind.

NATO's New Marching Orders

According to French army leadership, they have received "new marching orders from NATO." The goal is to be able to deploy a war-ready division within 30 days by 2027. In the next iteration of NATO drills in Romania, France will test its ability to deploy a brigade, typically consisting of 3,000 to 5,000 soldiers, within a 10-day window.

French Forces in Eastern Europe

Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, France has been at the forefront of providing soldiers for a NATO battle group stationed in Romania. This includes at least 800 French troops and the number is expected to increase. This build-up comes despite Russia's warnings about NATO's military infrastructure expansion right up to its borders, a grievance that dates back to the 1990s and early 2000s.

Russia's Response to NATO's Expansion

Russia has recently lowered its threshold for using nuclear weapons in response to NATO's expansion. In September 2023, then NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg admitted that the US-led push to expand NATO eastward was Moscow's key rationale for invading Ukraine. Russia had requested a promise from NATO not to expand further, which was rejected. As a result, Russia went to war to prevent more NATO presence close to its borders.

France's Military Expansion Eastward

In February 2022, just four days after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, France doubled its contribution to the NATO Response Force in Romania. Since May 2022, the deployed force, operating under the name "Mission Eagle", has taken the form of a multinational battlegroup with France at its core. Last month, additional vehicles from the French 7th Armored Brigade arrived in Romania.

Attempts at Diplomacy

French President Emmanuel Macron attempted to mediate with Russia's Putin early in the Russia-Ukraine war through a series of phone calls. However, any serious diplomacy between the West and Moscow has since ceased. Meanwhile, Ukraine has continued its high risk drone attacks deep into Russia, destroying oil depots, gas facilities, and key military assets at air bases.

Bottom Line

The military build-up by France in Romania signifies a shift in NATO's strategy and a clear response to Russia's actions in Ukraine. This move, while aimed at bolstering defense, also raises questions about the potential for escalating tensions in the region. What are your thoughts on this development? Do you think this strategy will help maintain peace or lead to further conflict? We invite you to share this article with your friends and sign up for the Daily Briefing, delivered every day at 6pm.