Romanian Defense Minister Vasile Dincu has resigned after being criticized by the president and prime minister for a statement he made that Ukraine's only chance to end the war was to negotiate with Russia.
"This morning I submitted my resignation from the position of Minister of National Defense to the Prime Minister of Romania, Nicolae Ciuca," Dincu, a former deputy prime minister, said in a post on his Facebook page on October 24.
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Earlier this month, Dincu said negotiations -- with the help of international allies -- are the only way to achieve a lasting peace in the unprovoked war against Ukraine by Russia, which Moscow launched in late February.
The comments immediately sparked a rebuke from President Klaus Iohannis and leaders of the ruling governing coalition, including Ciuca.
Iohannis said that since Ukrainians were paying for the war with their own blood, only they could say when and what could be negotiated. He also noted that this was the position of Romania, a member of the NATO security alliance, and the European Union, of which it is also a member.
"My gesture (resignation) comes as it is impossible to cooperate with the Romanian president, the army's commander-in-chief," Dincu said in the post. "I think my withdrawal from the post is necessary so as to not harm decisions and programs which require fluid command chains and to not block a series of projects which are absolutely necessary for...the ministry and the army."