Vlad advocated for voluntary basic military training for men and women up to 35 years old. The general noted the end of compulsory military service in Romania as a reason for a shortfall in the army's readiness.
Vlad also called for legal reforms to empower Romania to defend itself against Russian drones. Debris from one of the Kremlin's drones fell in Romania last September and the uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) could not be shot down because Romanian law does not allow this, the general said. "We had no combat systems," he added.
His broad call to action echoed similar recent warnings from other Western military and defense leaders, including the U.K.’s army chief General Patrick Sanders. Last week, he urged the British authorities to “mobilize the nation” to prepare for a possible war with Russia. Moscow has been waging all-out war on Ukraine for almost two years now.
Earlier, Germany’s Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said a Russian attack on the NATO military alliance was “possible” in “five to eight years.” Dutch Admiral Rob Bauer, a top NATO official, said the military bloc faced “the most dangerous world in decades.”
"The Russian Federation has become a problem for world order, for democracy," Vlad said. "In fact, it is a Russian war with the democratic world. This is not a war with Ukraine."