After the attack on the Soviet Union, which sealed Antonescu's alliance with Nazi Germany, Ivașcu was drafted into the Romanian Land Forces, but, being aged 30, was ordered to continue his work at "Vremea" in lieu of active service. According to one account, during this short interval in the military Ivașcu wrote pro-war propaganda in the army newspapers "Soldatul" and "Santinela". His presence in the official press became even more controversial after that date. Historian Lucian Boia identifies him behind the pen name "Victor Pancu", used in articles that praise Adolf Hitler and describe Joseph Stalin's as "the most atrocious of dictatorships". With contributors such as Ion Anestin and Costin Murgescu, "Vremea" was a staple of anti-Soviet propaganda all throughout 1942, leading Boia to conclude that Ivașcu was playing a "double game".