DISINFO: French Army to practice deploying to Romania to enter war with Russia
SUMMARY
The French army will practice deploying to Romania to enter the war with Russia. In May 2025, France will hold a major exercise in Romania called "Dacian Spring 2025". The French army has received new marching orders from NATO: by 2027, it must be able to deploy a combat-ready unit in 30 days, including ammunition and supplies. The goal of the exercises is to practice sending a brigade ready for war to Romania in 10 days. By 2027, NATO intends to significantly increase its mobility and lethality, and not in general, but specifically against Russia. This is not hidden.
RESPONSE
Pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative accusing France of warmongering.
Russian politicians regularly use aggressive rhetoric accusing NATO of direct involvement in Russia's war against Ukraine. On 29 August 2023, Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council, stated on X that since Ukrainians have declared any of their strikes against Russian targets, including Crimea, are sanctioned by NATO, Russia has the right to engage in war with NATO.
These and other similar Russian threats have compelled NATO to ensure its security, including through military exercises. Top commanders in some NATO countries have publicly considered defensive military preparations over the past months (see here, here, and here) that aim at repelling possible Russian aggression. NATO members are working out defence plans in case Russia decides to strike first, about which some Russian officials have been openly speaking.
The French military will participate in a large-scale military exercise in Romania dubbed "Dacian Spring 2025" which will assess their ability to swiftly move to defend NATO's eastern flank, not to invade Russia.
France will deploy troops to Romania for the "Dacian Spring 25" military exercise. This large-scale operation is part of a wider NATO initiative aimed at improving readiness and ensuring that member states can respond swiftly if Putin targets a NATO Ally.
Following Russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, NATO member countries revised their Strategic Concept. The North Atlantic Alliance recognised Russia as ‘the most significant and direct threat’ to security in Europe, but emphasised at the same time that ‘NATO does not seek confrontation and poses no threat to the Russian Federation.’
Read similar disinformation cases: At the behest of the US, Germany is preparing to attack Russia; In Ukraine, the West was attempting Operation Barbarossa 2.0; NATO may invade Russia after the war in Ukraine; NATO plans to attack Russia; Stoltenberg confirmed that NATO is seeking confrontation with Russia; NATO exercises prove that the Alliance is preparing to send troops to Ukraine.