Radio România Internațional

Tag: Ukrainian refugees

April 28, 2022 UPDATE

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
Ukrainians may leave their country. According to the UNHCR spokesperson Shabia
Mantoo, the Agency and its partners intend to raise 1.85 billion USD 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.

UKRAINE – The authorities in Ukraine
are hopeful about the future, despite the current difficulties, Romanian Senate
Speaker, Florin Cîțu, said upon his return from Kyiv. Florin Cîțu visited the
Ukrainian capital to attend the first congress of local authorities held since
the start of the Russian invasion. Florin Cîțu said talks focused primarily on
reconstruction. Ukraine needs support for this effort, and it is clear the
country needs further assistance in order to defend itself, the Romanian
official pointed out.

TROOPS – The Romanian defence ministry announced that the Romanian
Army currently has no troops deployed in the Republic 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
Republic of Moldova, and claimed that Romanian troops have already been
deployed to the neighboring 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
Republic of Moldova.

GOVERNMENT – The government on Thursday passed an
emergency decree allowing economic operators on the Romanian Black Seacoast to
sign contracts for renting and operating the newly created beach areas. In this
context, the Minister of Tourism and Entrepreneurship, Constantin-Daniel
Cadariu, announced that over 100 hotels will open their doors to guests for the
May 1 mini-holiday, which have already booked approximately 80% of their units.
Also on Thursday, the government passed another emergency decree implementing
the provisions of the Omnibus Directive, whereby Romanian consumers will
benefit from the same rights and protection as European citizens. The
government also passed a draft law for the recognition of babysitters as a
professional category of workers providing families with child day-care and
monitoring services. Additionally, the government approved the setup,
organization and functioning of the cross-ministry committee on climate change,
which will be coordinated by Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă.

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.

TENNIS – Romanian tennis player Simona Halep on
Thursday ousted Shuai Zhang of China in the opening round at the Mutua Madrid
Open. Sorana Cîrstea however lost to Nuria Parrizas Diaz of Spain, while Irina
Begu was defeated by Belinda Bencic of Switzerland. The Madrid Open takes place
between April 28 and May 7. Simona Halep won the 2016 and 2017 editions.

RUGBY -
Romania’s rugby team has qualified to the 2023 World Cup in France after Spain
was disqualified for using an ineligible player in two matches held as part of
the 2021-2022 Rugby Europe Championship. World Rugby had previously opened an
investigation following a query submitted by Romania, after finishing the Group
in 3rd place. We recall Romania too was disqualified from the 2019
World Cup for using an ineligible player.
(AMP
& VP)

28 April 2022
April 12, 2022 UPDATE

MEASURES – Romania’s Finance Minister,
Adrian Câciu, said that the package of social and economic measures announced
on Monday evening by ruling coalition leaders mainly targets the economy, maintaining
jobs, and supporting vulnerable people. The package is worth €3.5 billion. The
measures include the granting of €50 vouchers every two months for the purchase
of basic foodstuffs for low-income families and €30 vouchers for the more than
150,000 students who receive social scholarships. Vouchers can be used to
purchase food, school supplies and clothing. Other measures include a minimum
gross salary of 3,000 lei in agriculture and the food industry as well as money
for investments.

MEETING – The balanced, long-term
consolidating of NATO’s defense and deterrence posture must be accelerated,
Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis said on Tuesday following his meeting with
the Prime Minister of Belgium, Alexander De Croo. The president argued in favor
of a unitary, coherent and robust defense on the eastern flank in order to
ensure a more efficient deterrence, particularly in the Black Sea. Klaus
Iohannis said a Belgian military unit is currently deployed to Romania as part
of NATO’s Response Force and thanked Prime Minister De Croo for his support.
The Belgian official said Belgium and Romania are close partners in the EU and
NATO, and that Vladimir Putin’s war has strengthened these ties. NATO is here,
it is strong, and it is an organization we can rely on. Your border is our
border, and together we will defend it, Belgium’s Prime Minister also said.

UKRAINE – Ukraine’s Finance Minister, Serhiy
Marchenko, has called on the international community to provide immediate
financial support to allow Ukraine to survive the huge budget deficit generated
by the Russian invasion, Financial Times writes. The Ukrainian official painted
a rather grim picture of Ukrainian economy, estimating total losses sustained
by civilian and military infrastructure at some $270 billion. The coming period
will be crucial for Ukraine, Western officials say, since Russian troops are
resupplying and redeploying. On the other hand, the White House expects even
greater atrocities in Ukraine committed by the Russian troops under the command
of General Aleksandr Dvornikov, recently appointed commander of Russia’s
operations in Ukraine. Known as the Syrian butcher, Dvornikov
commanded the Russian forces involved in the Syrian civil war, when they
brutally bombed numerous civilian targets. The US and the UK are looking into
reports according to which chemical weapons have been used by Russian forces in
attacks on Mariupol, a strategic port city under siege for more than a month.
The Ukrainian Azov Battalion, barricaded in Mariupol, claims that a Russian
drone dropped a ‘toxic substance’ on soldiers and civilians in the area, saying
that several people reported respiratory and neurological problems. Over 10,000
civilians have been killed in Mariupol since the invasion began, Mayor Vadim Boychenko
announced.

REFUGEES – Over 72,000 people, of whom
8,350 Ukrainian citizens entered Romania on Monday, according to the Border
Police. Since the start of the Russian invasion, some 685 thousand Ukrainian
citizens have entered the country. On the other hand, the Romanian Red Cross
has assisted over 250 thousand people from Ukraine with information and
services in order to reconnect with their families. As part of its campaign
Humanity has no borders, the Red Cross has so far raised over €6.7 million.
Humanitarian activities will continue to address both Ukrainian citizens who
have reached Romania, as well as those who remained in Ukraine, the Romanian
Red Cross director, Ioan Silviu Lefter, has said.

CONFERENCE – EU Commissioner for Transport,
Adina Vălean, on Tuesday
attended a videoconference jointly with officials from Romania, the Republic of
Moldova and Ukraine. Transport Minister Sorin Grindeanu pointed out Romania
plays a key role in ensuring the flow of goods to Ukraine and the Republic of
Moldova, and thus is essential for the economy of the two countries. Since the
start of the invasion, Romania’s maritime, rail, road and air infrastructure
has provided vital transport routes for the transit of goods and raw materials,
Sorin Grindeanu argued. The Romanian official said enhancing the operational
capacity of the port of Constanța on
the Romanian Black Sea provides substantial support to the trading of goods to
and from Ukraine via the Republic of Moldova.

LIST – The Environment Ministry will
compile a list of deteriorated natural areas that will be rehabilitated under
the Recovery and Resilience Plan. The list will be elaborated jointly with the
European Commission and a number of NGOs, Minister Tánczos Barna said after
Tuesday’s meeting with EU Commissioner for Environment, Virginijus Sinkevičius,
held in Bucharest. Talks also focused on measures required to stop illegal
logging in natural protected areas. (LS & VP)

12 April 2022
April 11, 2022

PLAN – Ruling coalition
leaders are today expected to announce the final form of the support package addressing
the population and the economy, in the context of soaring prices across the
board. The list of measures includes an increase in the meal allowance for
inpatients, an increase of meal vouchers and further vouchers addressing
vulnerable categories. The minimum salary is also expected to go up, although
employers will decide if they want to implement the measure or not.
Additionally, the authorities will also allow people to postpone the payment of
bank installments, a measure previously introduced during the pandemic as well.
Further support will be given to transporters, whose fuel purchases will be
partly subsidized, whereas grants will be awarded to SMEs. Liberal prime
minister Nicolae Ciucă said the package will help keep the economy going and
protect vulnerable citizens. In turn, PSD leader Marcel Ciolacu pointed out
this is the first time the Government comes up with such an initiative. The
plan is worth some €3.5 billion, of which €1.4 billion will be covered by the
EU.

DEBATE – The Chamber of Deputies
is today debating a simple motion filed by USR against Environment Minister,
Tanczos Barna. The vote is scheduled for Wednesday. The opposition party claims
the UDMR minister in the ruling coalition government is to be blamed for
illegal logging, for the destruction of the environment, the state’s inability
to tap into green economy opportunities and the contempt shown to civil society
whenever the latter signals environment issues.

MEETING – EU Foreign
Ministers are today examining the sixth package of sanctions against Moscow
during their meeting in Luxembourg. The EU’s 27 Foreign Ministers have their
differences over a possible ban on Russian energy. Germany, Italy, Austria and
Hungary are largely reliant on Russian gas imports. Ukraine’s president,
Volodymyr Zelensky, has constantly asked European leaders to adopt harsher
sanctions, including to stop purchasing oil and fuel from Russia and to
provide Ukrainian forces with heavy weapons in order to resist the Russian
attacks in Donbas. According to several European diplomats, EU Ministers are
expected to disburse another €500 million to fund a new delivery of weapons to
Kyiv.

VISIT – Projects on future
mobility in the EU have three key words – sustainability, performance and
resilience, EU Commissioner for Transport, Adina Vălean, said on the sidelines of Monday’s conference about the future of
Europe hosted by Bucharest. The EU official expressed hope Romania’s infrastructure
should improve in terms of quality in the shortest time possible. On Tuesday,
Commissioner Vălean will attend a videoconference with the ministers of
transport of Romania, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. Adina Vălean said she wants to discuss with Bucharest officials about a better
absorption of European funds devoted to infrastructure and to find solutions
for the rail, road, river and maritime transport of goods from Ukraine and the
Republic of Moldova.

REFUGEES – Over 85,000 people, of whom 7,915 Ukrainian
citizens entered Romania on Sunday. According to a Border Police release, a
little over 677 thousand Ukrainians have reached Romania since the start of the
war in Ukraine, most of whom were headed to Western Europe.

GROWTH FORECAST – The World Bank has
downgraded its economic growth forecast for Romania this year, from 4.3% in
January to 1.9%. According to the World bank, economic uncertainty has gone up,
particularly as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The World Bank has
upgraded its economic growth forecast for Romania in 2023 to 4.1%, while its
forecast for 2024 stands at 4.3%.

ELECTION IN FRANCE – Emmanuel
Macron will face the leader of the far right, Marine Le Pen in the presidential
runoff scheduled for April 24, following the result of Sunday’s first round of
the French presidential election. Both will be trying to secure the votes of
the other candidates, although experts believe young voters of the radical left
will decide the vote. The traditional right and left wing parties that ruled
France for over 60 years have been again eliminated from the first round after
obtaining embarrassingly low scores. Conversely, the radical left and right
wings continue to gain ground. (VP)

11 April 2022
Talks on Ukrainian refugees

Nearly 10% of Ukraines total population fled the war-torn ex-Soviet republic in the wake of Russias invasion on February 24. Some 4 million people have sought refuge in neighboring countries. Poland received most refugees, some 2.4 million. Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians headed to other European countries, including Romania, the Republic of Moldova and Hungary, according to the UN. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi described the mass exodus as “the fastest-growing refugee crisis in Europe since the end of WWII”. “The war in Ukraine is so devastating that 10 million have fled either displaced inside the country, or as refugees abroad”, the UNHCR also said. In Bucharest, Prime Minister Nicolae-Ionel Ciucă on Monday met US ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield.

The agenda for talks included the situation of refugees in Romania, in the context of the ongoing Russian military aggression in Ukraine. The Prime Minister provided an overview of the security context and the prospects of a prolonged war in Ukraine, which puts constant pressure and requires a continuous effort to manage the refugee crisis, for which Romania is ready and is cooperating with the relevant humanitarian organizations, including the UNHCR. Prime Minister Ciucă hailed the exemplary mobilization of civil society and citizens who contributed to the relief effort. At the same time, talks also tackled Romanias support to neighboring Moldova in its efforts to deal with waves of refugees and reduce the impact on the Moldovan state budget. The US Ambassador in turn commended the exemplary mobilization of Romanian authorities and the kind, hospitable, open and caring support provided to Ukrainian refugees. Linda Thomas-Greenfield pointed out that Russia remains “isolated” in the UN Security Council, whereas its participation in the Human Rights Council is a “farce”. The US official added that “the time is now for the UN General Assembly” to suspend this country. In turn, US president Joe Biden has called for a war crime trial that must bring to court his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, whom he called a “war criminal”.

In other news, in an attempt to further help Ukraine, the European Commission recommends European banks to allow the conversion of hryvnia (UAH) banknotes into the national currency of Member States hosting Ukrainian refugees. The resolution was necessary since the National Bank of Ukraine had to suspend the exchange of hryvnia banknotes into foreign cash in order to protect Ukraines limited foreign exchange reserves. (VP)

5 April 2022
April 1, 2022 UPDATE

WAR IN UKRAINE
– Russia is withdrawing part of its forces around Kyiv and Chernihiv, located
some 130 kilometers from the capital city, Ukrainian authorities say. A
presidential adviser claims Ukrainian forces are pushing back Russian troops
towards the northwest and the northeast, Reuters reports. We can notice
columns of Russian military vehicles of various sizes moving, some headed
towards Belarus, Oleksandr Pavlyuk, the governor of the Kyiv Oblast said. The
Russian Minister of Defense issued a statement saying his troops are regrouping
near Kyiv and Chernihiv in order to focus on key areas and fully liberate
Donbas. NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, previously said NATO doubts
Russia is negotiating in good faith, since Moscow’s military objective has not
changed since the start of the invasion. Secretary Stoltenberg gave assurances
that NATO states will continue to supply weapons to Ukraine for as long as
necessary. On the other hand, European Parliament president, Roberta Metsola,
on Friday arrived in Kyiv to convey a message of hope to the Ukrainian people
and prove the European Union stands with Ukraine after Russia’s invasion. Soon
we will help you rebuild your cities and your towns when this illegal,
unprovoked and unnecessary war is over. We have already provided financial,
military and humanitarian assistance, this will continue and it will increase.
Roberta Metsola also said the EU will take care of Ukrainian refugees until
they can safely return to their homes.

REFUGEES – Over 8,200 Ukrainian nationals entered Romania on
Thursday, 4% less than the previous day – the Border Police Inspectorate has
announced. Since the beginning of the crisis, roughly 600 thousand Ukrainians
have arrived in Romania. The border checkpoints at Romania’s border with
Ukraine are functioning at full capacity with additional personnel and
equipment in accordance with the international legislation. Border police units
are operating jointly with other structures in the field for a proper handling
of the situation.

COMMISSIONER – Romania has seen a massive inflow of refugees from
Ukraine and the way it handled the situation is remarkable, the EU Commissioner
for Jobs and Social Rights, Nicolas Schmit, said during a press conference in
Bucharest. The EU official has also given assurances that Romania and the
countries dealing with the Ukrainian refugees’ crisis are going to get
assistance from the European Commission.

COVID-19 – The Romanian Health Ministry on Friday announced
roughly 3,000 new Covid-19 infections in the past 24 hours as well as 27
related fatalities. Since the beginning of the pandemic in Romania two years
ago, over 2.85 million infections have been reported and 65 thousand patients
have died. Over 8 million people have been fully vaccinated in this country,
whose Health Minister, Alexandru Rafila said the activity in the hospitals
treating Covid-infected patients would gradually normalize and the number of
infections decrease. No prevention rules have been applied in Romania since
March 9.

PNL – The political
bureau of PNL met on Friday in a videoconference and agreed to call a National
Council meeting on Sunday. The agenda includes the organization of an
extraordinary congress. Several Liberal leaders have called for a new congress
to replace Florin Cîțu as party president, accusing him of inflaming relations
with PSD at the level of the ruling coalition, refusing to communicate with the
party and being unpopular, thus affecting PNL’s standing in surveys. On his
part, Florin Cîțu did not recognize the decision and has called a meeting of
executive leaders on Saturday. Openly supported by president Klaus Iohannis, Cîțu
was elected leader of the National Liberal Party in September 2021, replacing
Ludovic Orban. (VP)

1 April 2022
February 26, 2022

WAR IN UKRAINE – Russian forces on Saturday mounted a new coordinated and artillery
attack on several Ukrainian cities, including the capital-city Kyiv, where
gunfire and explosions were reported in the proximity of Government buildings,
according to eye-witness reports and Ukrainian army officials. Heavy fighting
is also ongoing in southern Ukraine, in Mariupol, Kherson, Mykolaiv and Odessa,
an adviser to the Ukrainian presidency has announced. According to Russian sources, the Russian
army has taken full control of Melitopol and the hydroelectric power plant
north of the capital city. Volodymyr Zelensky said his allies continue to
deliver weapons and has dismissed false information according to which he had
called on the army to surrender. Ukraine’s ambassador in Israel told CNN that
the Ukrainian president has called on the Israeli Prime Minister, Naftali
Bennett, to host and help mediate negotiations with Russia. According to
official data published by Kyiv authorities, nearly 200 Ukrainians have been killed
in the attacks, including three children. Over 1,200 people were injured, of
whom 33 are underage. The USA and the EU on Friday imposed sanctions on the
Russian president and the Russian Foreign Minister. Additionally, NATO
announced it will continue to provide weapons to Kyiv and has mobilized its
rapid response force on the Alliance’s eastern flank.

NATO – France will relocate 500 of its NATO military to Romania in response
to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the French chief of general staff, Thierry
Burkhard has announced. NATO has decided to consolidate its presence on the eastern flank and send a strong
message of strategic solidarity by deploying forces to Romania, General
Burkhard argued, adding that France’s NATO personnel in Estonia will also be
reinforced ahead of schedule. At the same time, Portugal will also accelerate
the deploying of its infantry to Romania as part of NATO operations originally
slated for the second half of the year. Portugal will also help receive
Ukrainian refugees by granting emergency visas, EFE news agency reports. Prime
Minister Antonio Costa told a press briefing at the end of the NATO summit that
this infantry battalion comprises 174 military and is due to head out to
Romania within the next few weeks.

REFUGEES – In Romania, authorities and civil society are coordinating in order to
assist people fleeing the war in Ukraine. A task force has been set up that is
working with the Department for Emergency Situations and NGOs involved on the
ground, Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă has said. Some 20,000 refugees from Ukraine have crossed into
Romania since the start of the Russian invasion, mostly women and children. As
hotels and guesthouses are getting overcrowed real fast in the north and
northeast, association of volunteers have offered to put up people, including
in their own homes. People and NGOs have mobilized from the start of the war
and have prepared food, water and hot coffee adn tea for refugees crossing the
border. The Red Cross is on the ground, distributing food and personal hygiene
products together with a large retailer. Lists with essential phone numbers are
distributed to the refugees, whereas volunteers have set up phone-charging
systems and local Wi-Fi networks close to the border.

COVID-19 – Nearly 7,200
new cases of COVID-19 infection and 101 related deaths were reported on
Saturday, the Group for Strategic Communication has announced. Most of these
cases were reported in Bucharest, where the incidence rate is going down. The
vaccination campaign has slowed down, which prompted the authorities to close
down several centers across the country while reducing the working hours of
others. The hightest number of daily Covid infections was reported on February
1 – 40,018. (VP)

26 February 2022
February 25, 2022 UPDATE

WAR IN UKRAINE -
Ukraine wants peace and is willing to hold talks with Russia, also with respect
to Ukraine’s neutrality status in connection with NATO, Mykhailo Podolyak,
advisor to the Ukrainian presidential office has told Reuters. President
Volodymyr Zelensky called for direct negotiations with his Russian counterpart,
Vladimir Putin, but the Kremlin announced it is willing to accept talks at the
level of the two countries’ defense and foreign ministries in Minsk. I want to
address the Russian president again. There is fighting all across Ukraine. Let
us sit down and negotiate in order to put an end to the killing, Zelensky said
in a televised address. On the ground, the Ukrainian army said it is fighting
Russian forces in the extended Kyiv region. The population was urged to take up
arms and use Molotov cocktails against the Russian occupation troops. Dozens of
civilians were injured in Mariupol, in southern Ukraine, which is also facing a
full-on Russian assault.

ROMANIA AND UKRAINE – Romania’s president,
Klaus Iohannis, on Friday attended a videoconference meeting of the Bucharest 9
Format, co-hosted with Poland’s president, Andrzej Duda. The president posted
on social media that he called for strengthening the deterrence and defense
posture on the eastern flank, especially in the Black Sea. B9 countries have
expressed solidarity with the Ukrainian people and democratic institutions. At
the same time, they continue to fully support the sovereignty and territorial
integrity of Ukraine, as well as its right to decide its own foreign policy.
The same goes for the Republic of Moldova and Georgia. At the end of the
NATO emergency summit, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg gave assurances that
NATO will defend each of its members, adding that the Alliance is deploying its
response forces. Secretary Stoltenberg went on to say that NATO is determined
to continue to assist Ukraine. On Friday, the Council
of Europe decided to suspend any participation of Russian diplomats and
delegates in its main bodies, effective immediate, in response to the armed
attack on Ukraine. The decision doesn’t apply to the European Court for Human
Rights, which will continue to provide protection to Russian citizens.

REFUGEES – Romania is ready
to receive a large number of refugees from neighboring Ukraine, Interior
Minister Lucian Bode said on Friday. Control measures have intensified and
additional shifts introduced, due to the high flow of Ukrainian migrants
crossing the border. Minister Bode said Romania has the technical, logistic and
human resources required to organize refugee camps, in response to the
humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. The location of the camps has already been
identified, and the Ministry is permanently coordinating with NGOs, the Red
Cross and UNICEF. Asylum seekers will benefit from free-of-charge medical
services for 90 days, and if they are granted refugee status they will have the
same rights as Romanian citizens. Bucharest General Mayor said he has prepared
some 25,000 beds for emergency accommodation, adding that the City Hall can
offer 5,000 daily meals via its soup kitchens.

MOLDOVA – The Moldovan
Parliament has voted the declaration of a state of emergency for 60 days in the
context of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. 88 out of the total of 101 MPs
voted in favor. The MPs belong to all parliamentary groups: the pro-Western
Action and Solidarity Party (PAS), the pro-Russian communist and socialist
left-wing and the Shor populist party. The state of emergency bans mass
demonstrations and allows authorities to banish undesirable persons. According
to Radio Chișinău, Ukrainian
citizens will be able to enter the territory of the Republic of Moldova using
their identification documents, without providing the COVID-19 certificate.
Underage children will be admitted based on their birth certificates,
identification documents or passports. Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilița said over
4,200 refugees from Ukraine have entered the Republic of Moldova on the first
day of the invasion. Most refugees are on their way to European Union states,
although 100 people have filed for asylum in the Republic of Moldova. According
to the 2014 census, Moldova is home to some 180 thousand Ukrainian ethnics
(accounting for 6.5% of the total population) and some 110 thousand Russian
ethnics (4%). (VP)

25 February 2022