Defense Minister Vasile Dinku resigned on Monday, more than two weeks after he declared that “the war in Ukraine will continue” and that “the only chance for peace may be negotiations with Russia.” PSD is currently discussing three replacement options, including former Prime Minister Mihai Tudose.

According to PSD sources, discussions are currently taking place between PSD leader Marcel Čolaku in his office in the parliament with Sorin Grindianu and Paul Stenescu regarding Dink’s successor at the head of the defense ministry.

Cited sources told HotNews.ro that the PSD is considering the following candidates for the position of Minister of Defense:

• Mihai Tudose – Member of the European Parliament from PSD, former Prime Minister, former Minister of Economy and former Member of Parliament
• Angel Tilvar – second-term senator, former deputy and former minister of relations with Romanians worldwide
• Mihai Weber is a deputy in his third term

Vasile Dinku motivated his decision to resign by the impossibility of cooperating with President Klaus Iohannis.

Dîncu posted the full text of his resignation letter on Facebook:

• “Vasile DINCU, the undersigned, member of the Romanian government responsible for defense, please accept my resignation from this position.
• I justify my gesture from the point of view of the impossibility of cooperation with the President of Romania, the supreme commander of the army. I believe it is necessary to step down from this position in order not to in any way harm the decision-making processes and programs that require fluidity throughout the chain of command, and not to block a number of projects that are absolutely necessary for the optimal functioning of the Ministry. of National Defense and the Romanian Army.
• Mr. Prime Minister, I thank you for the honest cooperation and openness you have shown during the joint government activities, and I assure you of my full support for all the projects and programs of the Ministry and the Romanian Army as a senator, a member of the Parliament of Romania.”

The resignation came more than two weeks after he said that “the war in Ukraine will continue” and that “the only chance for peace may be negotiations with Russia”, statements accused by Klaus Iohannis, among others. “(…) probably, some of our high-ranking people need to read the press magazine more often to learn about these positions,” the president responded at the time.