ROMANIA – MOLDOVA RELATIONS – Romania’s interim president, Ilie Bolojan, on Saturday morning was received by his Moldovan counterpart, Maia Sandu, as part of an official visit to Chișinău. Ilie Bolojan also met with Moldovan Parliament Speaker Igor Grosu and Prime Minister Dorin Recean, and brought a floral tribute to the Stephen the Great monument in the Moldovan capital. The Romanian head of state traveled to Moldova to further consolidate the Romanian-Moldovan partnership and express Romania’s willingness to continue support and cooperation with its neighbor. On February 12, shortly after being sworn in as interim president, Ilie Bolojan phoned the Moldovan president, discussing ways to continue close cooperation and bilateral relations.
WHITE HOUSE MEETING – International leaders, including Romania’s interim president, Ilie Bolojan, have reacted to the falling-out between Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Donald Trump, most of them appealing to calm and maintaining support for Ukraine. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told Volodymyr Zelensky to be strong and courageous because he is not alone, Reuters reports. Messages of encouragement for Ukraine also came from Poland, Norway, Canada, Czechia, Spain, the Netherlands, Latvia, Lithuania and the United Kingdom. In turn, French president Emmanuel Macron recalled that Russia is the aggressor in the current conflict, and the Ukrainian people are the victim, fighting for both their independence and the security of Europe. A similar message was conveyed by the president of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu. Italy’s Prime Minister, Georgia Meloni, said that in such moments unity is needed and called for the organization of a US – EU summit. Following talks between Zelenskyy and Trump at the Oval Office, the interim president of Romania posted a message on X, arguing that “the security of Ukraine is crucial for the security of Europe” and that “we must stand united to fight for our values, freedom and peace”. The meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy, during which vice-president J.D. Vance also intervened, took place at the Oval Office of the White House and ended with a dispute. Volodymyr Zelensky explained that, starting 2014, when Russia first attacked Ukraine, until the full-scale invasion of 2022, there were numerous attempts to regulate the conflict and ceasefires, but Russia violated its commitments every time. Therefore, Zelenskyy asked president Donald Trump not to accept compromises from Vladimir Putin. The two American leaders responded harshly, accusing Volodymyr Zelenskyy of not being grateful and not thanking the United States for the support received and of risking to start World War III. As a result of growing tension, the agreement on the joint exploitation of Ukrainian rare earths, requested by president Donald Trump as compensation for the support provided so far by the United States, was not signed, and the joint press conference of the two leaders was canceled.
ARREST – Mercenary Horaţiu Potra, his son and his brother were added to an international wanted list by the Romanian Police, after the Supreme Court decided to have them arrested. At the same time, 16 other defendants have already been placed under pre-trial arrest, and two individuals were put on house arrest. All suspects are accused of actions against the constitutional order. Additionally, Horaţiu Potra is accused of violating the weapons and ammunition regime and the explosives regime. According to some sources, the three fugitives are currently in Dubai. Prosecutors claim Horaţiu Potra and his group of mercenaries sought to infiltrate the protests organized immediately after the annulment of last year’s presidential election in Romania, in order to create chaos. The action plan was allegedly devised by former independent candidate Călin Georgescu and his associates in a secret meeting shortly after decision of the Constitutional Court. As for Călin Georgescu, he was placed under pre-trial arrest for 60 days on Wednesday. He is being investigated for several crimes, including incitement to actions against the constitutional order.
MĂRȚIȘOR – Romanians on March 1 celebrate the coming of spring, popularly known as Mărțișor. This popular celebrate was first documented in the early 20th century in Romania, Bulgaria, Albania and elsewhere in the Balkans. In Romania, Mărțișor was associated with protection against disease and misfortune. A silver coin was usually tied with a red-and-white piece of string to children’s hands, to ward off disease. 12 days later, the coin is tied to a branch so the tree can bloom, or it is tied to cattle’s horns, to prevent disease. Picked up by urban culture, Mărțișor became a very fashionable holiday. People buy silver or gold trinkets to give to their loved ones. Mărțișor was added to the UNESCO Intangible World Heritage list in 2017 following a joint application from Romania, Moldova, Bulgaria and North Macedonia. (VP)