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Tag: invasion

Three years of war in Ukraine

Three years after Russia’s invasion, EU leaders went to Kyiv to express their support for Ukraine, in a summit dedicated to a common defence and security strategy. “We are in Kyiv today, because Ukraine is Europe. In this fight for survival, it is not only the destiny of Ukraine that is at stake. It’s Europe’s destiny,” the European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said. She was accompanied in Kyiv by the College of Commissioners, and emphasised the need to strengthen military aid.

According to European Commission data, the EU and its 27 member states have provided almost EUR 134 billion to Ukraine in the past 3 years, of which EUR 48 billion in military assistance. Kyiv has also received substantial support from Washington.

However, Donald Trump’s new administration is approaching the situation differently. The White House said on Saturday that the US is close to an agreement with Ukraine on sharing the profits from Ukrainian minerals as part of efforts to end the war. Washington wants to recover the billions of US dollars given to Ukraine in military aid, which is why it is demanding rare minerals, oil or “anything we can get,” says Donald Trump.

Thrown off balance by the unexpected US-Russian dialogue on Ukraine, as Washington started talks with Moscow to end the war without having the EU or Kyiv involved, Europeans fear that Donald Trump could end the war on terms favourable to Russia, without offering security guarantees to Ukraine.

The successive meetings of European leaders in Paris organised last week by Emmanuel Macron have shown, on the other hand, that they are rather divided and have failed to come up with a joint response to the start of US-Russian negotiations on peace in Ukraine.

As such, news agencies say, “the French president is going to Washington on Monday on behalf of his country alone, without having an EU mandate for Europe to be able to speak with one voice.” He will be followed on Thursday by British PM Keir Starmer, who travels to the White House for similar talks with the US president, the same president who recently accused the two European leaders of having done nothing to end the war in Ukraine.

Attending one of the meetings in Paris last week, the interim president of Romania, Ilie Bolojan, pleaded for cooperation between EU countries and the United States in resolving the crisis in Ukraine.

“A just and lasting peace in Ukraine can only be achieved with the help of the United States, Romania’s strategic partner,” PM Marcel Ciolacu said in turn in Bucharest, in a first official reaction to the most important topic on the agenda of world leaders. The Romanian official voiced confidence that, despite the harsh political rhetoric of recent days, the steps to end the war will be successful. At the same time, Marcel Ciolacu emphasised that “Romanians have paid dearly, in economic terms, for the effects of this conflict,” and that Romanian companies should play an important role in the reconstruction of Ukraine. (AMP)

24 February 2025
February 23, 2025 UPDATE

UKRAINE Romania’s Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said that any responsible person wants a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, and expressed hope that, despite the harsh political rhetoric of recent days, the efforts to end the war in Romania’s neighbouring country will be successful.

The Romanian PM said in a Facebook post that Romanian companies should play an important role in the reconstruction of Ukraine. It is a project worth over EUR 500 billion, from which Romanian companies should gain as much as possible, Mr. Ciolacu added.

On Sunday, around 150 people, mostly Ukrainian refugees, gathered in front of the Ukrainian embassy in Bucharest to mark 11 years of Russian aggression and 3 years since the start of the full-scale invasion. The participants carried Ukrainian and Romanian flags, as well as banners with messages against the war started by Russia and against the Russian president Vladimir Putin. The Ukrainian ambassador to Bucharest also attended the protest. (AMP)

23 February 2025
Long war expected in Ukraine

NATO’s secretary general
Jens Stoltenberg warned that the war in Russia-invaded Ukraine is not going to
end very soon. In an interview released on Sunday by the German press group Funke
and quoted by international media, he said that Most wars last longer than
expected when they first begin and concluded that Therefore we must prepare
ourselves for a long war in Ukraine.

Stoltenberg also argued
that We all want a quick peace. At the same time, we must recognize that if
President Zelenskyy and the Ukrainians stop fighting, their country will no
longer exist. If President Putin and Russia stop fighting, we will have peace.

As for Kyiv’s plans to
join the North-Atlantic Alliance, its chief says it is just a matter of time
before Ukraine joins the Alliance. When the war ends, Ukraine will need safety
guarantees. Otherwise, history could repeat itself, Jens Stoltenberg warned.

In this summer’s NATO summit in Vilnius, the
NATO leaders agreed that Ukraine would be able to join, provided that certain
conditions were met, related to democracy and the rule of law. But Kyiv
struggles with recurrent scandals, some of them concerning the very equipment
of the Army fighting the Russians or the widespread bribery system in military
commissariats, whereby men avoid recruitment.

Meanwhile, the long-discussed and awaited
Ukrainian counteroffensive, launched this summer, is much slower than Kyiv
officials and their Western supporters were hoping. Every couple of weeks, Ukraine
announces the freeing of some village, usually completely deserted and
obliterated by the Russian occupants.

On the other hand, Russia’s great-power
ego and territorial appetite are far from being satisfied. Moscow only has some
control over four Ukrainian regions: Donetsk and Luhanks in the east, Kherson
and Zaporizhzhia in the south, in addition to the Crimean peninsula annexed in
2014. It is too little compared to what Putin told his men on February 24,
2022, when he ordered the invasion.

Both the aged and bitter Kremlin chief and
his close aides, who keep echoing the same nonsensical claims of de-Nazifying
an Ukrainian state led by a Jewish president, seem hardly resigned to not
seeing their tanks entering Kyiv.

Moreover, the Russian economy seems to
withstand the successive waves of Western sanctions, and to be able to further
finance the invasion. So chances are the fighting will continue, even though
Russian experts themselves have calculated that two months of war equate the Russian
Federation’s healthcare budget for the entire year 2023. (AMP)

18 September 2023
July 14, 2022

EXPORTS The Foreign Ministry in Bucharest used diplomatic channels to convey a message to Kyiv that Romania allows Ukrainian ships loaded with cereals to use the Danube channels of Bastroe and Chilia. According to the Foreign Ministry in Bucharest, Romania tries to muster consistent international support to create a transit corridor, including on the sea, for the transport of Ukrainian cereals to third countries against the backdrop of the growing food crisis triggered by the Russian aggression. On Wednesday the city of Istanbul in Turkey held talks on ways of unblocking Ukraines grain exports. The conference brought together delegations from Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the UNO. Ukrainian vessels are carrying grain to the Romanian port of Constanta to be further shipped to various destinations in Europe, Africa or the Arab world.

PARADE Festivities occasioned by the National Day of France are this year being attended by honoured military guests from Eastern Europe, including 12 from Romania as a token of gratitude for these countries efforts to defend NATOs eastern flank against the background of the Russian aggression in Ukraine. According to Radio Romania correspondent in Paris, France wants thus to convey a message of unity to NATO allies as well as a strong message of solidarity with Ukraine. The festivities are this year unfolding under the motto Partager la flame (Divide the Flame) with a double significance: to pay homage to Hubert Germain, the last member of the French resistance against the Nazi occupation who died this year, and to hail the Olympic flame ahead the Olympic Games Paris is due to stage in 2024. Romanian president Klaus Iohannis has today sent President Macron a letter of congratulation and wishes of prosperity for the French people. Iohannis has underlined the solidity and consistency of the Strategic Partnership between Romania and France, built on common values and excellent cooperation both at the bilateral level and within the EU and other international bodies. The French Embassy in Bucharest will mark the event through a reception, which is to be attended by Romanias Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca and by Chrysoula Zacharopoulou, state secretary for development, Francophonie, and International Partnerships with the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs.

REFUGEES According to data released by the General Border Police Inspectorate, on Wednesday 12 thousand Ukrainian refugees crossed the border into Romania. Since February 10, before the onset of the Russian invasion, 1.55 million Ukrainian nationals have entered Romania, although only a small part chose to remain here.

DRILL Over July 14 and 25 three Romanian warships are participating in the international exercise Breeze 22 staged and coordinated by Bulgarian Navy in the countrys territorial and the international waters of the Black Sea and the Bulgarian port of Burgas. This years edition of the aforementioned exercise has brought together navy and and air forces from Albania, Belgium, France, Georgia, Italy, Latvia, Poland, Turkey and the USA. The drill is aimed at strengthening tactical interoperability between the navy personnel and participating units and at exercising the procedures of conventional and non-conventional war.

FOOTBALL Romanias football champions CFR Cluj have been eliminated from the preliminaries of the Champions League by Armenian side Pyunik Yerevan. After a goaless draw away, the Romanians lost 4-3 at home after the penalty shootout. CFR Cluj will be playing next in Europa Conference League, where they are to take on Inter Club dEscalades of Andorra. Another three football sides from Romania are playing in the aforementioned competition. These are runner-up FCSB, Sepsi Sf. Gheorghe, winners of the Cup and Universitatea Craiova, presently ranking third in the Romanian championship.

(bill)

14 July 2022
June 26, 2022

FLAG DAY Events are organised in county capitals and in Romanian
localities hosting military units, to celebrate National Flag Day on the 26th
June. National Flag Day was introduced to mark the day in 1848 when the
revolutionary government proclaimed the red, yellow and blue flag as the
national colours of all Romanians. National Flag Day was introduced under a
1998 law.

REFUGEES The Romanian Border Police announced that on the 25th
June, 12,570 Ukrainian nationals (down 2.6% since the previous
day) crossed the border into Romania. Since Ukraine’s invasion by the Russian
army on the 24th February, until midnight Saturday, Romania received 1,324,823 Ukrainian
citizens. Of them, 80,000 chose to stay in Romania and benefit from the
protection and safety provided by the Romanian authorities, the PM Nicolae
Ciucă said. The government of Romania came up with a national protection
and inclusion plan addressing the Ukrainian nationals that benefit from
temporary protection. The plan includes children’s access to education and
access to jobs for the adults.

UKRAINE Heavy blasts were heard on Sunday at dawn in Kyiv,
affecting a residential compound near the centre of the city, international
news agencies report. The incident comes hours before the opening of a G7 summit
in Germany, discussing the situation in Ukraine. Kyiv had previously been hit
in early June, while another shelling was reported in late April, during a
visit by the UN secretary general Antonio Guterres.

MOLDOVA Russia’s ex-president and PM Dmitri Medvedev threatens the
Republic of Moldova that it will see its natural gas supplies cut and exports
of agri-food products to the Russian market banned, if Chişinău joins the
West’s economic sanctions against Moscow. Medvedev, currently vice-president of
the Security Council, posted on his Telegram channel an extensive article on
the Republic of Moldova, which Thursday was recognised as a EU candidate country.
According to Radio Romania’s correspondent in Moscow, Medvedev says the
accession process may take decades, which makes Moldova’s annexation by Romania
an easier option. And, Medvedev argues, both Bucharest and Chişinău are making
efforts in this respect. He mentioned a recent joint meeting of the parliaments
of the 2 countries and said the president of Moldova, pro-Western Maia Sandu, would
be ready to renounce the country’s independence. Medvedev also argues that
these plans are supported by the US and the EU. Founded on part of the eastern
Romanian territories annexed by Stalin’s Soviet Union in 1940, today’s R. of Moldova
declared its independence from Moscow in 1991.

FESTIVAL The Sibiu International Theatre Festival continues in central
Romania until the 3rd July. This year’s motto is Beauty. This 29th
edition of the festival brings together artists from around the world in
theatre, dance, cinema, musical, opera and circus performances. Concerts, book
shows and exhibitions are also organized as part of the festival. Some of the
performances taking place in cultural or unconventional venues can be watched
on the Festival’s official website, digital streaming platform
www.scena-digitala.ro, and on the event’s official Facebook page and YouTube channel.

TENNIS The Romanian player Simona Halep, no 19 WTA and former
world leader, will take on the Czech Republic’s Karolina Muchova (82 WTA), in
the first round of the Wimbledon tournament. Halep, winner of the Wimbledon trophy
in 2019, is seed no. 16th this year in the competition. Another
Romanian player, Sorana Cîrstea, 32 WTA and seed no. 21, plays against Aleksandra
Krunic of Serbia (53 WTA). Gabriela Ruse (55 WTA) has the most difficult match
in the All England Club first round, against the American Coco Gauff, no. 12 in
the world. Irina Begu (43 WTA) is facing Ekaterine Gorgodze of Georgia (112
WTA), in the same round, while Ana Bogdan (109 WTA) plays against Ukraine’s Dayana
Yastremska (74 WTA), and Irina Bara (121 WTA) against Chloe Paquet of France (101
WTA). In turn, Mihaela Buzărnescu (126 WTA) will play against Natasja Schunk of
Germany (156 WTA). This year’s Wimbledon tournament has record-large amounts in
prize money (over GBP 40 million) but the WTA and ATP announced they will not
assign any points, after the British organisers decided to bar Russian and
Belarusian players from taking part, in response to Russia’s invasion of
Ukraine.

26 June 2022
Ukraine – dernières évolutions

L’Ukraine pourrait avoir besoin d’une assistance étrangère allant jusqu’à 1 000 milliards d’euros pour réparer les dégâts provoqués par l’invasion russe, a déclaré mardi Werner Hoyer, président de la Banque européenne d’investissements, selon Bloomberg. Selon lui, « l’Europe devra jouer le rôle le plus important dans les efforts de reconstruction de l’Ukraine ». La Commission européenne a proposé la première fois, à la mi-mai, le plus récent paquet d’aides afin de couvrir une partie des besoins financiers de Kiev, qui se montent à environ cinq milliards d’euros par mois. L’évaluation de la BEI survient alors que les leaders de l’UE se préparent à se réunir jeudi et vendredi à Bruxelles afin de discuter des plans de reconstruction de l’Ukraine et aussi de sa demande d’adhérer à l’espace communautaire. Selon l’AFP, le ministre des Affaires européennes français, Clément Beaune, dont le pays assure la présidence tournante du Conseil de lUE, a déclaré quun « consensus total » avait émergé au sein des Vingt-Sept lors dune réunion avec ses homologues a Luxembourg, pour accorder le statut de candidat à l’Union à l’Ukraine.

21 June 2022
May 8, 2022

Visit. Romania is home for hundreds of thousands of children, women and elderly people fleeing war and the effort made by the Romanian people will be remembered as a symbol of solidarity and wisdom as the nation opened its doors to peace and freedom to its peers. This was a statement sent by the government on Saturday on the occasion of a meeting between Mădălina Turza, state advisor and strategic coordinator of the humanitarian assistance for refugees, and the United States First Lady Jill Biden. The latter expressed her full support for the support and solidarity of the states at the forefront of the management of the Ukrainian crisis. She visited a school hosting women and children refugees from Ukraine and met Romanias First Lady Carmen Iohannis. On Friday, on arriving in Romania, dr. Biden visited the Mihail Kogalniceanu airbase in south-eastern Romania where she met US military. Her visit to Romania comes less than two months after that of vice president Kamala Harris. After Romania, she travelled to Slovakia to showcase the support of the US administration for the Ukrainian refugees.

Refugees. More than 9,000 Ukrainian citizens crossed the border into Romania on Saturday, up more than 12% compared with the previous day. 5,000 entered via the Ukrainian border and the rest via the Moldovan-Romanian border. From the beginning of the Russian invasion on 24th February until 7th May, more than 884,000 Ukrainian citizens crossed the border into neighbouring Romania. The Romanian border police said they supplemented the number of staff and border checks are carried out efficiently.

Ukraine. Britain said it would provide further military support for Ukraine worth 1.3 billion pounds. The announcement was made ahead of a meeting by video link of the G7 leaders with Ukrainian president Volodymy Zelensky. This is the most Britain has spent in a conflict since Iraq and Afghanistan. NATO believes Russias war against Ukraine will not end soon, but that the latter will prevail and NATO will provide assistance, said the alliances secretary general Jens Stoltenberg. NATOs main mission is to prevent the war from spilling out outside Ukraine and to minimise risks through collective defence and deterrence and consolidating its positions on the eastern flank. Stoltenberg said Germany is playing the main role in this mission. On the ground, Ukraine bombed Russian positions on Snake Island, which is located some 45 km from Romania. It also continues diplomatic efforts to rescue its fighters trapped in the Azovstal steelworks, the last stronghold of the Ukrainian forces in the port city of Mariupol, after the last civilians were evacuated on Saturday.

Celebration. Western Europe today celebrates the 77th anniversary of the end of WWII. In France, where this is a national holiday, ceremonies are held at military cemeteries and at war memorials and president Emmanuel Macron is laying flowers at the statue of general Charles de Gaulle and the tomb of the unknown soldier under the Arch of Triumph. 8th May celebrations are held this year in a tense international context because of the war in Ukraine, with the allies from 77 years ago now occupying different positions. On Saturday as he was sworn in for his second term, president Macron emphasised the need for European unity to face the challenges of this century.

Travel. Bucharest is one of the cheapest cities to visit in Europe, according to Time Out magazine. The ranking takes into account the city vibe, the tourist attractions, the price of accommodation and the price of a pint of beer. The Polish city Cracow is the cheapest, followed by Riga in Latvia and Český Krumlov in the Czech Republic. Bucharest is fourth in the ranking, which contains 11 cities.

Handball. The Romanian womens handball champions CSM Bucharest are today facing the Danish side Esbjerg away in the second leg of a Champions League quarterfinal match. In the first leg, Esbjerg pulled off a narrow 26-25 win, having been ahead throughout the match. The winner will play the Leagues Final Four. Established in 2007, CSM won the Champions League title in their first appearance at this competition, in 2016, and finished in third place in the next two years. Declared best handball player in the world four times, in 2010, 2015, 2016 and 2018, CSMs left back Cristina Neagu is also the top scorer of this edition of the Champions League, with 103 goals. (CM)

8 May 2022
April 28, 2022

REFUGEES The number of Ukrainian nationals who crossed the border into Romania
went up 30% on Wednesday compared to the previous day, reads a news release
issued by the Romanian Border Police. As many as 8,635 Ukrainian citizens
entered Romania in 24 hours, coming from Ukraine or the R. of Moldova. Since
the start of the crisis over 2 months ago, over 800,000 Ukrainians have come
into Romania. Meanwhile, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) announced in a
conference in Geneva that over 8 million Ukrainian may leave their country.
According to the UNHCR spokesperson Shabia Mantoo, the Agency and its partners
intend to raise USD 1.85 billion to support an estimated 8.3 million refugees
in Hungary, the Republic of Moldova, Poland, Romania and Slovakia, as well as
in other countries in the region, including Belarus, Bulgaria and the Czech
Republic.

TROOPS The Romanian defence ministry announced
that the Romanian Army currently has no troops deployed in the Rep. of Moldova
to take part in drills or other joint training programmes. The statement comes
after a Russian-language publication released fake news according to which
Romania plans to attack Transnistria with NATO support, and then to
annex the Rep. of Moldova, and claimed that Romanian troops have already been
deployed to the neighbouring country. Disinformation on Russian channels
follows a number of attacks by unknown perpetrators, which took place in the
past few days in Transnistria, a pro-Russian breakaway region in the east
of the Rep. of Moldova.

NATURAL GAS The European Union
told Russia it would not give in to blackmail, after Moscow discontinued
natural gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria, which had refused to pay for
natural gas in rubles. The European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen
said the Union had other options to make up for the suspended deliveries, and
warned member states not to breach the sanctions imposed by the EU after
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. We have to guarantee alternative supplies and the
best possible storage levels across the EU, Von der Leyen explained. EU member
states have implemented emergency plans for such a scenario and we have worked
together in coordination and solidarity, the EU official added.

ARMY Military ceremonies, concerts and competitions take place in Bucharest
today to mark the Romanian Land Forces Day. Events are announced throughout the
day, including ceremonies, cultural, scientific and educational events, sports
competitions and military drills, book fairs, concerts and documentary
screenings. In Arad (west), a military equipment exhibition opens today on this
occasion, and on Saturday the city will host military and religious ceremonies.

COVID-19 Nearly 1,150 new SARS-CoV-2 infection cases were reported in Romania on
Thursday. The authorities have also reported 15 Covid-related deaths. Of the over
1,200 patients in hospitals, 193 are in intensive care, and most of them are
unvaccinated. Meanwhile, as interest in vaccination dropped significantly,
immunisation centres are closing these days across the country. Those who want
to get the vaccine will be able to do so only in family physician offices as of
May.

TENNIS The Romanians Simona Halep, Sorana Cîrstea and Irina Begu take part in
the first round of the WTA 1000 tournament in Madrid, which starts today.
Sorana Cîrstea takes on Nuria Parrizas Diaz of Spain (52 WTA). Simona Halep
plays against Shuai Zhang of China (40 WTA), and Irina Begu faces Belinda
Bencic (13 WTA) of Switzerland. WTA Madrid Open takes place between April 28
and May 7. Simona Halep won the 2016 and 2017 competitions. (AMP)

28 April 2022
April 17, 2022

EASTER Catholic and
Protestant Christians celebrate the Resurrection of Christ. At the
Vatican, Pope Francis once again called for peace, describing Easter as the
gift of hope during the Mass held in a basilica with thousands of believers.
Today, the service takes place in San Pietro Square after 2 years of
Covid-related restrictions. For Orthodox and Greek-Catholic believers, who
celebrate Easter next weekend, today is Palm Sunday, commemorating the moment
when Jesus Christ entered Jerusalem. In Romania, a mostly Orthodox country,
nearly one and a half million people are celebrating their name day. President
Klaus Iohannis wished happy and peaceful holidays to all those who celebrate
Easter or Palm Sunday today.

UKRAINE As of midnight
Russian vessels are no longer allowed to enter EU ports, Romanian ports
included. The ban also covers ships that replaced the Russian flag with the
colours of another state after February 24 when the war in Ukraine started, but
not those which need assistance or shelter for safety reasons or those which
have saved lives at the sea. In an interview to Sunday’s issue of the German
magazine Bild am Sonntag, the head of the European Commission Ursula von der
Leyen said the next stage of EU sanctions will target Russia’s oil and banking
sectors, particularly the country’s largest bank, Sberbank. She added that
Brussels was working on smart mechanisms to include Russian oil in the new list
of sanctions, so as to reduce the financing for Vladimir Putin’s invasion army.
EU member states are currently paying for Russian gas and oil via Sberbank and
Gazprombank, which have so far been exempt from Europe’s sanctions, Reuters
explains. Meanwhile, Russia carries on attacks on several cities in Ukraine,
including the capital Kyiv, in response to the sinking of its Black Sea
flagship, the Moskva. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent in
Ukraine, Russian forces shelled several cities in the south of Ukraine, whereas
in Herson Ukrainian troops continue to attack the occupying Russian forces.

REFUGEES The number of Ukrainian nationals who reached
Romania on Saturday was 12.4% higher than on the previous days, the Romanian
border police announced. Since the start of the crisis, over 730,000 Ukrainian
citizens have entered the country, most of them leaving Romania for other
destinations.

INVICTUS A group of 20 Romanian military wounded in battle
fields are taking part in the one-week long Invictus Games, hosted his year by
The Hague in the Netherlands. They will compete in 7 sports, 6 of them
individual competitions (hand archery, athletics,
rowing, powerlifting, cycling and swimming) and a team sport (sitting volleyball). The Invictus Games promote respect
and empathy for the sacrifice and traumas of wounded military, whose
involvement in these activities is an opportunity for social reintegration and
for regaining self-confidence, the Romanian Defence Ministry says. For Romanian
troops, this year’s Invictus participation is the third, after the ones in Toronto,
in 2017, and Sydney, one year later.

DIPLOMACY The Romanian Foreign Ministry celebrates 25 years
since the Joint Statement on the Romania-Italy Strategic Partnership was
signed. The genuine friendship between the 2 countries is facilitated by the
presence of over 1 million Romanians in Italy, making up the largest foreign
community in that country and also the largest Romanian community abroad, reads
a news release issued by the institution.

NORTH KOREA North Korea announced
the successful test firing of a new type of tactical guided weapon aimed at
boosting the country’s nuclear capabilities, which may indicate that Pyongyang
is ready to resume nuclear testing. North Korea suspended nuclear testing in 2017,
and the following year it blew up the tunnels in its underground nuclear test
site, but recent satellite imagery indicates digging and construction
activities have been resumed.(AMP)

17 April 2022
Russische Invasion: Kiew beschuldigt Moskau des Völkermords

Laut der ukrainischen Generalstaatsanwaltschaft, wurden die Leichen Hunderter toter Zivilisten gefunden, von denen ein Teil bereits gerichtsmedizinisch untersucht wurde. Gleichzeitig befragen die Ermittler Augenzeugen und sammeln Foto- und Videobeweise. Allein in Butscha wurden rund 300 Menschen in Massengräbern verscharrt, so die ukrainischen Behörden, die die russische Armee beschuldigen, die Bevölkerung dieser Stadt massakriert und in anderen befreiten Städten Gräueltaten verübt zu haben. Russland hat die Anschuldigungen zurückgewiesen und behauptet, die Bilder der Leichen seien manipuliert worden. Der Westen zeigte sich entsetzt über die Bilder und kündigte an, neue Sanktionen gegen Moskau zu verhängen, obwohl von der russischen Führung mehr erwartet wird, da Russland vor kurzem angekündigt hat, dass sein wahres Ziel die Zerstörung der Ukraine ist.

Auch in Bukarest änderte sich der Ton, als Präsident Klaus Iohannis sagte, die schrecklichen Bilder von Butscha und anderen ukrainischen Städten seien eine Botschaft an die ganze Welt, dass diese illegale Aggression gestoppt und die Verantwortlichen zur Rechenschaft gezogen werden müssten. “Die Bilder aus Butcha und anderen ukrainischen Städten sollten die ganze Welt daran erinnern, dass diese illegale Aggression gestoppt werden muss und die Schuldigen zur Rechenschaft gezogen werden müssen. “Die internationale Gerechtigkeit muss siegen”, twitterte Iohannis. Premierminister Nicolae Ciucă forderte seinerseits internationale Gerichte auf, die von russischen Soldaten in der Ukraine begangenen “schrecklichen Verbrechen” zu verfolgen. Kinder, Frauen, Zivilisten, die missbraucht und kaltblütig getötet wurden, warten auf ihre Gerechtigkeit, schrieb der Premierminister auf der Twitter-Seite der Regierung.

Au‎ßenminister Bogdan Aurescu verurteilte die Gräueltaten in Butscha und anderen Städten aufs Schärfste und forderte, dass die Schuldigen vor den Internationalen Gerichtshof gestellt werden. Die Präsidentin der Republik Moldau Maia Sandu, zeigte sich schockiert und erklärte den Montag zu einem Tag der Staatstrauer zum Gedenken an die bisher in der Ukraine getöteten Opfer. “Wir sind schockiert über das Massaker von Butscha. Die Republik Moldau verurteilt diese Verbrechen gegen die Menschlichkeit sowie diesen illegalen und unprovozierten Krieg aufs Schärfste, den die Russische Föderation gegen die Ukraine geführt hat”, schrieb Präsidentin Sandu auf Facebook.

4 April 2022
March 30, 2022 UPDATE

PARLIAMENT The president of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky will address the Parliament of Romania, the Senate speaker Florin Cîțu announced on Wednesday. “As speaker of the Senate, I will make the arrangements for this to happen next week. Ukraine has all my support,” Florin Cîțu added. Also next week, the Ukrainian head of state is scheduled to address the parliaments of Ireland and Greece. Since the start of Russias invasion in Ukraine on February 24, Volodymyr Zelensky has talked by video link to the parliaments of several countries, including the UK, Canada, the US, Germany, Italy, Australia, Israel, Poland, and the European Parliament. He also gave an address in last weeks special NATO summit, also attended by the US president Joe Biden.

UKRAINE Russian forces have used cluster munitions, prohibited under international law, at least 24 times in populated areas of Ukraine in the 5 weeks since the start of the war, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet announced on Wednesday, according to EFE news agency. “Indiscriminate attacks are prohibited under international humanitarian law and may amount to war crimes,” she also said, referring to the shelling of homes and administrative buildings, hospitals and schools, water stations and electricity systems. Meanwhile, Ukraines president Volodymyr Zelensky said there are positive signals regarding Tuesdays Russian-Ukrainian peace talks in Turkey, but that Ukraine does not intend to relax its military efforts. He emphasised there can be no compromise with respect to his countrys sovereignty and territorial integrity. Russias defence ministry said on Wednesday that Russian forces were regrouping near the capital Kyiv and Chernihiv in the north, to focus on other key regions and finalise what it called the freeing of Donbas. However, Reuters and the local authorities in Chernihiv confirmed that Russian attacks continued in both regions on Wednesday. On his first visit to China since his country invaded Ukraine, Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov Wednesday announced plans for a new “just and democratic” world order, in a partnership with China.

GOVERNMENT The government of Romania Wednesday approved the National Strategy on Curbing Poverty, aimed at a 7% reduction of poverty in the country by 2027. The legislative framework is necessary in order for relevant EU funding to be accessed. Funds are also earmarked for the set-up of 100 care centres to send food to the elderly at their homes. The government also decided on a maximum 20% increase in school enrollment capacities, so as to receive child refugees from Ukraine. In related news, the education minister announced that the current school terms will be replaced by 5 education modules alternating with 5 holidays. The next school year is set to begin 2 weeks early, on September 5, and to end on June 16.

AID Funds raised under a humanitarian campaign for the Ukrainian refugees who arrive in Romania, launched by the Romanian embassy in the USA jointly with the Romanian United Fund, have reached the intended 200,000 US dollars, the Romanian embassy has announced. According to Ambassador Andrei Muraru, this successful campaign is an example of solidarity at a difficult time for the Ukrainian citizens fleeing the war. The funds will be used for buying food, clothes, medicines and hygiene items for the refugees, as well as for providing accommodation, equipment and psychological support. According to UN sources, over 10 million Ukrainians, including more than half of the countrys children, have left their homes since the beginning of the war in their country. Out of the total number, 6.5 million have been relocated inside the country whereas 3.9 million have left it. Out of these, roughly 580,000 have crossed the border into Romania.

NATO Romania will be taking action to strengthen its defence capabilities, including by allotting 2.5% of its GDP to defence instead of a previous 2.2%, Romanian president Klaus Iohannis said in a message conveyed on the 18th anniversary of Romanias application for joining NATO. According to Iohannis, Romania will continue to promote the partnership between NATO and the EU, remaining a staunch ally, a security provider in the Black Sea area, dedicated to the fundamental values of the North Atlantic Alliance.

COVID-19 Over 3,500 new COVID-19 cases were confirmed in Romania on Wednesday, along with 36 fatalities, 22 of which from an earlier date. Little over 2,500 patients are currently hospitalised, 395 of them in intensive care. The health minister Alexandru Rafila says COVID-19 hospitals will gradually resume their regular operations by the end of September. Meanwhile, the vaccine roll-out continues in family physician practices. So far over 8 million people have been fully vaccinated and 17 million doses of vaccine have been administered.

30 March 2022
27.03.2022 (mise à jour)

Réunion à Sofia – Le premier ministre roumain, Nicolae Ciucă, participe lundi à la réunion des chefs d’Etat et de gouvernement des Etats membres de l’OTAN de l’Europe du sud-est, tenue à Sofia. Selon un communique du gouvernement, la réunion sera accueillie par le premier ministre bulgare, Kiril Petkov. La réunion offrira l’opportunité d’approfondir les consultations sur les conséquences de l’invasion russe en Ukraine et de la sécurité en Europe du sud-est, a affirmé le premier ministre Nicolae Ciuca. La réunion plénière sera consacrée à des sujets liés à la manière dont l’invasion russe affectera la sécurité régionale à court, moyen et long terme, ainsi que les moyens de consolider la coordination et la coopération en Europe du sud-est. Le chef de l’exécutif rencontrera le premier ministre bulgare, Kiril Petkov, son homologue du Monténégro, Zdravko Krivokapic, ainsi que le chef du gouvernement de la Macédoine du Nord, Dimitar Kovacevski.

Visite – Le président du Sénat roumain, Florin Cîţu, a réaffirmé dans le cadre de pourparlers avec les responsables de Washington le besoin de consolider le flanc est de l’OTAN, y compris par le renforcement de la présence militaire américaine. 25 ans après le lancement du partenariat stratégique roumano-américain, il a réaffirmé l’engagement de la Roumanie de majorer jusqu’à 2,5% du PIB les dépenses militaires et d’intensifier la coopération militaire avec les Etats-Unis. Florin Cîtu a déclaré sur Facebook qu’un autre thème a été la sécurité énergétique européenne et le rôle de la Roumanie à ce sujet. Durant sa visite, le président du Sénat a rencontré aussi des représentants de la communauté de Roumains des Etats-Unis, qui selon M Cîtu, peuvent contribuer à la consolidation du partenariat stratégique.

Commissaire – Le Commissaire européen aux Affaires économiques et monétaires, Paolo Gentiloni, sera en visite à Bucarest lundi et mardi. Il y rencontrera le Président roumain Klaus Iohannis et le Premier ministre Nicolae Ciucă, ainsi que d’autres responsables roumains. Il s’agira de discuter des perspectives économiques et de la situation de la Roumanie, un mois après l’agression russe en Ukraine. Le Commissaire Gentiloni se rendra lundi à la base permanente de l’Inspection des situations d’urgence de Bucarest Ilfov, et donnera un discours mardi à l’occasion de l’inauguration de débats portant sur l’économie.

Ukraine – La Russie a frappé avec des missiles de croisière de grande précision des cibles militaires de la ville de Lviv, dans l’ouest de l’Ukraine, a annoncé dimanche le ministère russe de la défense cité par Reuters. La Russie a frappé un dépôt de carburants utilisé aussi par les forces armées ukrainiennes et une usine de réparation de systèmes anti-missile, stations radar et chars a expliqué le ministère russe. Plusieurs personnes ont été blessées lors de ces frappes, ont également expliqué des responsables de la ville de Lviv, située à 60 kilomètres seulement de la frontière avec la Pologne. Parmi les cibles des missiles à longue portée lancée depuis la mer Noire ont figuré des systèmes de missiles antiaériennes S-300 et Buk placées près de Kiev. Par ailleurs, deux couloirs humanitaires devraient permettre l’évacuation des civils de la ville portuaire de Marioupol, bombardée tant par des avions que par l’artillerie, mais aussi d’autres localités où la situation humanitaire se détériore d’un jour à l’autre. Selon un responsable du ministère ukrainien de l’intérieur a déclaré que la Russie avait commencé à détruire des dépôts de carburants et de nourriture et c’est pourquoi le gouvernement de Kiev devrait disperser d’urgence ces stocks.

Covid 19 – 1 939 nouveaux cas de contamination au virus SARS Cov 2 ont été enregistrés en Roumanie au cours des dernières 24 heures, soir 1 161 de moins par rapport au jour précédent. 10 décès ont été rapportés des suites de la maladie, dont 2 antérieurs à cette période. 390 malades sont actuellement en réanimation.

AUR – Les délégués au congrès extraordinaire de l’AUR, le quatrième parti du Parlement de Bucarest ont élu dimanche George Simion aux fonctions de président du parti. Il a remporté le scrutin interne avec le slogan « La Roumanie riche : chrétienne et démocrate ». De l’avis de la quasi-totalité des analystes, l’Alliance pour l’Union des Roumains est l’héritière idéologique de l’extrême droite de la période de l’entre deux guerres. Ce fut toujours l’AUR à avoir organisé une protestation qui a dégénéré en violences devant le Parlement roumain contre l’introduction du certificat numérique vert au lieu de travail. L’alliance pour l’Unité des Roumains a été assez agressive dans ses efforts de promouvoir les discours anti-vaccin, ultranationalistes et souverainistes. Récemment, l’AUR a qualifié l’Holocauste de thème mineur, qui ne mérite pas une place à part dans le programme scolaire, provoquant des réactions véhémentes de la part de l’ambassade d’Israël et de l’Institut national d’étude de l’Holocauste en Roumanie, Elie Wiesel. En février, George Simion a fait la une de la presse lorsqu’il a eu une altercation avec le ministère de l’énergie, le libéral Virgil Popescu, qui s’exprimait devant les députés de Bucarest pour expliquer la flambée des tarifs énergétiques.

Handball – SCM Râmnicu Vâlcea( sud) a été battue à domicile par les danois de Herning-Ikaast Handbold sur le score de 39 à 33, dimanche dans le premier tour des quarts de finale de la compétition féminine de handball EHF European League. Le deuxième tour est prévu pour le 2 avril à Ikaast.

Météo – Temps doux pour cette période de l’année en Roumanie. Ciel plutôt bleu et dégagé avec quelques rafales de vent sur les Carpates Orientales. Les maxima iront de 10 à 20 degrés alors que les minimas iront jusqu’à – 4 degrés, mêmes inférieures dans les dépressions.

27 March 2022
Ukraine, dernières évolutions

Les troupes russes
continuent à encercler la capitale ukrainienne, Kiev, où de nouvelles
restrictions de circulation ont été instaurées à partir de lundi, à 18h00 et
jusqu’à mercredi, à 5h00. Dans la nuit de dimanche à lundi, un bombardement sur
un centre commercial situé dans le
nord-ouest de la capitale a fait au moins 8 morts, informent les autorités
ukrainiennes. A leurs dires, les bombes ont également avarié six immeubles, deux
écoles et deux garderies. Sur les 3,5 millions d’habitants de Kiev, la moitié a
pris la fuite. Entre temps, la ville de Marioupol, dans le sud, ne capitule
pas. « Ce qui se passe dans cette ville est une crime de guerre majeure.
Les bombardements détruisent tout et tuent tout le monde de façon
indiscriminée » a déploré le chef de la diplomatie européenne, Josep
Borrell. Le président ukrainien, Volodimir Zelenski a appelé l’Europe,
notamment l’Allemagne, à suspendre toute relation commerciale avec la Russie,
en refusant même ses ressources énergétiques. Les Européens, dépendants des
hydrocarbures russes, ont exclu l’idée de frapper ce secteur de sanctions. A
plus de trois semaines depuis le début des hostilités des forces russes en
Ukraine, la Bourse des Valeurs de Moscou a repris lundi seulement pour les
obligations d’Etat, un premier pas vers une réouverture progressive. Les
autorités ont refusé jusqu’à présent une reprise des activités de peur d’un
cataclysme boursier provoqué par les sanctions occidentales.

21 March 2022
21.03.2022

CAE – Le chef de la diplomatie roumaine, Bodgan Aurescu, participe à Bruxelles aux Conseil Affaires étrangères de l’UE. Les principaux sujets de discussion portent sur la situation de sécurité dans la région de la mer Noire engendrée par l’agression russe en Ukraine et sur l’aide immédiate que l’UE peut accorder à la République de Moldova, voisine de la Roumanie et de l’Ukraine. Selon la diplomatie de Bucarest, à cette occasion, Bodgan Aurescu doit réitérer que, dans ce contexte sans précédent, l’UE doit réaffirmer la perspective européenne de l’Ukraine, de la République de Moldova et de la Géorgie. Sur la proposition de la Roumanie, en marge du Conseil AE, les responsables européens doivent s’entretenir avec le chef de la diplomatie moldave, Nicu Popescu, afin de mieux comprendre au niveau de l’espace communautaire les besoins et les défis auxquels son pays est confronté, notamment dans le contexte de la guerre. Ce sera aussi l’occasion pour les 27 de réaffirmer leur soutien pour les efforts de Chisinau d’accueillir des réfugiés ukrainiens et de parler aussi d’une nouvelle aide concrète de la part de l’UE pour renforcer la résilience de ce pays. Le ministre roumain de la Défense, Vasile Dîncu, participe lui aussi au Conseil AE de Bruxelles, notamment à une réunion élargie consacrée à la Boussole stratégique de l’UE, qui est la stratégie de défense de l’UE.

Réfugiés – Plus d’un demi-million d’Ukrainiens sont entrés en Roumanie depuis le déclenchement de l’invasion russe le 24 février. 80 000 ont choisi d’y rester et 4 000 ont déjà déposé des demandes d’asile. Le poste-frontière de Siret, dans le nord-est est un des principaux points de passage de la frontière entre l’Ukraine et la Roumanie. A Suceava, dans la même région l’UE a fondé un centre logistique afin de centraliser l’acheminement des médicaments et des autres aides humanitaires pour l’Ukraine. Selon l’ONU, la dimension de la crise humanitaire est comparable à celle de Syrie.

Ukraine – L’Ukraine a rejeté lundi l’ultimatum du Kremlin exigeant la capitulation de la ville assiégée de Marioupol, au bord de la mer Noire, alors qu’un nouveau bombardement à Kiev a fait au moins huit morts, dévastant les abords d’un centre commercial de la capitale, selon l’AFP. Le consul général de Grèce à Marioupol, qui a organisé plusieurs évacuations de ressortissants grecs, a comparé cette ville à Guernica ou encore Alep, à son arrivée dimanche à Athènes. Les Nations unies ont qualifié la situation humanitaire dans la ville d’extrêmement grave, les habitants étant confrontés à une pénurie critique et potentiellement mortelle de nourriture, d’eau et de médicaments. A l’instar d’autres villes ukrainiennes attaquées par les russes, à Marioupol, la résistance de l’armée est doublée par celle des civils. La ville-port d’Odessa dans le sud a enregistré une activité accrue des drones russes, mais elle n’a toujours pas été attaquée. Le Kremlin est en train de changer sa stratégie et concentrera ses efforts sur le sud et l’est de l’Ukraine, affirment des experts américains cités par « The Wall Street Journal ». Ils affirment que la Russie souhaite en fait assurer un pont terrestre entre l’ouest de la Russie et la péninsule de Crimée ainsi qu’à élargir le contrôle russe sur la région de Donbass. De l’avis des experts américains, l’armée russe continuerait à bombarder les villes ukrainiennes, dans une tentative de forcer Volodymyr Zelensky à abandonner aux aspirations de rejoindre l’Occident et d’accepter un statut neutre ainsi que d’autres revendications formulées par la Russie. Un nouveau round de négociations devrait avoir lieu ce lundi entre les représentants ukrainiens et russes. Pour sa part le chef de la diplomatie turque, Mevlüt Çavuşoglu, affirme que les parties approchent un accord sur des sujets critiques.

Agriculture – Le ministre roumain de l’Agriculture et du Développement durable, Adrian Chesnoiu, participe à Bruxelles aux Conseil Agriculture et Pêche, dont l’agenda est dominé par la situation du marché agro-alimentaire européen dans le contexte de l’invasion de l’Ukraine par la Russie. Les ministres européens se proposent d’identifier des mesures pour garantir la sécurité alimentaire de l’UE, aussi sur le long terme. De même, la Commission européenne informera les participants sur l’approbation des plans stratégiques figurant dans la nouvelle Politique Agricole Commune. D’autres sujets figurent à l’agenda des ministres de l’Agriculture des 27 – la production de protéines végétales, l’agriculture durable, la réunion des ministres de tutelle des G7, l’impact de la croissance des prix de l’énergie sur la pêche, l’utilisation des engrais biologiques et autres. Pour sa part, le ministre roumain Adrian Chesnoiu a fait savoir récemment avoir demandé à la CE de reconsidérer l’idée selon laquelle 4% de la superficie agricole d’un Etat membre ne doit pas être cultivée. Pour la Roumanie, un pays avec 9,4 millions d’hectares de terres agricoles et un sol fertile, cela se traduirait par 300 000 hectares qui devraient ne pas être utilisés, a expliqué le ministre.

Covid – Le nombre des cas de coronavirus est de nouveau à la hausse dans plusieurs pays du monde. Sur cette toile de fond, l’Autriche est le premier pays de l’UE à réintroduire le port obligatoire du masque de protection et envisage aussi de réviser les normes de confinement. La Chine est confrontée actuellement à la plus forte recrudescence des cas de Covid, alors que la France a rapporté une moyenne de 90 000 nouvelles contaminations ces 7 derniers jours, soit une croissance de 36 % par rapport à la semaine précédente, lorsque la plupart des mesures sanitaires avaient été levées. La Roumanie a rapporté dimanche environ 2 200 nouveaux cas de coronavirus dépistés en 24h. A noter aussi que toutes les restrictions sanitaires ont été levées en Roumanie à compter du 9 mars dernier.

Forum – Le Forum Economique roumano-jordanien se tient ce lundi dans la capitale jordanienne, Amman, étant organisé par l’Association des Hommes d’affaires Jordaniens, l’Ambassade de Roumanie à Amman et l’Association pour la coopération économique roumano-jordanienne. L’événement présentera les principales opportunités d’investissements pour le secteur privé roumain, les avantages offerts par les zones libres et les zones de développement de Jordanie ainsi que les facilités offertes par la loi jordanienne aux investisseurs. Des hommes d’affaires des deux pays débattront de l’agriculture, de l’industrie alimentaire, du transport, du commerce, des solutions pour le traitement des eaux, sans oublier les équipements pour les compagnies du domaine de la sécurité et de la protection, ni les produits provenant de la zone de la mer Morte, ni l’exploitation du marbre. Un conseil roumano-jordanien doit être lancé aussi, ayant pour objectif de renforcer les relations d’investissements et de commerce entre les communautés d’affaires des deux pays.

Météo – Il fait assez beau ce lundi en Roumanie et les températures sont à la hausse. Les maxima de la journée vont de 6 à 14 degrés. 11 degrés et du soleil à midi à Bucarest.

21 March 2022
Political consultations in Bucharest

A number of high ranking officials, such as heads of state, prime ministers, ministers, European commissioners and NATO leaders have paid visits to Romania since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Romania is neighbouring Ukraine and, starting February 24, has received hundreds of thousand of Ukrainian refugees on its territory. Romania is also a NATO member and is located on the eastern flank of the alliance, which is the most exposed to current security challenges. Talks about the security situation are also held at bilateral level, such as the ones on Thursday between Romanian President Klaus Iohannis and his Estonian counterpart Alar Karis, which focused on boosting NATO defence actions.

The two officials have agreed military capacities in the region needed to be adjusted, and that NATO must have military capacities to prevent Russia from advancing on the eastern flank. Klaus Iohannis: “We urgently need a substantial and balanced consolidation of the entire eastern flank, (…) a unitary and consolidated presence. That is why Romania wants an enhanced NATO presence on its territory. “

Iohannis has also announced that Romania will resume, as of next year, its participation in the NATO Air Police mission in the Baltic area, an approach aimed to strengthen collective allied defence. In his turn, the Estonian President, Alar Karis, talked about the need to reduce dependency on Russian energy. The topic was also approached during the talks which the Romanian President had on Thursday with the Spanish PM, Pedro Sanchez. Ensuring the energy security of the EU has, in the context of the war in Ukraine, an increased strategic importance, said Klaus Iohannis: “Romania is ready to offer its own energy infrastructure to diversify natural gas supplies from multiple sources. “

We had barely overcome the crisis triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic that we entered another crisis, PM Sanchez said, emphasising the need for a decision at EU level as regards the evolution of electricity and natural gas prices. The Spanish PM also discussed in Bucharest, with his counterpart Nicolae Ciuca, about the multidimensional impact of the crisis in Ukraine, with a focus on stability, refugees and energy. The two officials voiced their interest in holding a first joint meeting of the Romanian and Spanish governments. (EE)

18 March 2022