Radio România Internațional

Tag: war

  • March 28, 2022 UPDATE

    March 28, 2022 UPDATE

    NATO The war that Russia started against
    Ukraine severely affects the security environment at the Black Sea and in the
    south-east of Europe, the Romanian PM Nicolae Ciuca said at the end of a meeting
    of NATO heads of government from south-east Europe, hosted by Sofia,
    Bulgaria. Europe is now experiencing the most complicated period since WW2, and
    we need stronger defence and more efficient deterrence, Mr. Ciucǎ added. On
    the sidelines of the meeting, the Romanian PM discussed with his Bulgarian
    counterpart Kiril
    Petkov, about the Bulgaria-Greece interconnector. Another topic was the road
    and railway infrastructure, in which context the Bulgarian side proposed the
    construction of 5 bridges over Danube river. In Sofia, the
    attending heads of government discussed cooperation in the field of security,
    taking into account NATO’s latest decisions. Another major topic was related to
    reducing reliance on Russian gas and identifying means to connect the region to
    natural gas pipelines from Western Europe, particularly via Greece.




    UKRAINE
    Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky says his country is ready to discuss
    neutrality as part of a peace agreement with Russia, as a new round of
    negotiations is due to begin in Istanbul, Turkey on Tuesday. A meeting between
    presidents Zelensky and Putin would be counterproductive at this point,
    Russia’s foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said in his turn.
    Meanwhile, the losses reported by Ukraine because of the war are in excess of
    USD 564 billion, the country’s economy minister Yulia Svyrydenko said, according to Reuters. In the
    field, Russian forces are regrouping but have difficulty advancing into
    Ukrainian territory. Several Russian units were forced to return to Belarus
    after experiencing significant losses. The situation remains dramatic in
    Mariupol, the Sea of Azov port that sees the most violent
    fighting since the start of the war. The Red Cross announced it was unable to
    send aid to the city, and requested Russia and Ukraine to secure a humanitarian
    corridor. According to local authorities, nearly 160,000 civilians are stranded
    in the city without water, food, medicines and electricity. Russia continues to
    deny targeting civilians, and blames Ukraine for the repeated failure to secure
    safe corridors for the locals to leave the region.






    SCHOOLS
    The number of Ukrainian children enrolled in Romanian schools stands at 1,140,
    out of a total of nearly 34,000 minors who arrived in Romania fleeing the
    Russian invasion, the education minister Sorin Cîmpeanu has announced. The
    Romanian Minister said the majority of Ukrainian school children wish to
    continue their studies observing the standard curricula taught in Ukrainian
    schools.






    VISIT There are currently no risks to food safety in Europe. What we do have
    is inflation, said EU Commissioner for Economy, Paolo Gentiloni, at the end of
    his meeting in Bucharest with Finance Minister Adrian Câciu. According to the
    EU official, the war in Ukraine will impact Romania’s estimated 4% economic
    growth rate this year. Talks between Gentiloni and Câciu also tackled economic
    measures to address the shocks reported in the supply chain. At the same time,
    the two officials also discussed the fallout of the war in Ukraine and response
    measures required to deal with the wave of refugees. Also
    on Monday    , Paolo Gentiloni was received by president Klaus Iohannis. The talks focused
    primarily on the situation generated by Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, including the economic impact on the EU and its
    member states, the
    challenges in handling the refugee waves and the situation in the Republic of Moldova.EU Commissioner for Economy, Paolo Gentiloni, is
    in Bucharest on Tuesday as well, when he is scheduled to meet other Romanian
    officials. (AMP)

  • Fine artists take a stand against the war in Ukraine

    Fine artists take a stand against the war in Ukraine

    Can art be a weapon used against the war? What happens when fine artists get together to protest against todays events? “Bombs and Humans. Artists united against the war” is the theme of an exhibition held in Bucharest over March 12 and April 3rd. The exhibition brings together works by artists from Romania and Ukraine, who thus conveyed their protest message to everybody. Raluca Ilaria Demetrescu is the curator of the exhibition. Here she is, speaking about how the exhibition came into being and about the dozens of exhibiting artists.



    “There are 74 artists, of whom 18 are from Ukraine. The crisis and emergency situations call for reactions, nay, they do not call for, they trigger emergency reactions. So impressed weve all been with what happens in Ukraine that we chose to express how we feel about it the way we, the artists, know how to do it: scratching the surface a little bit, taking a closer look at the citadel, at the citadels drawbacks, at the worlds drawbacks, and we reacted to that. It all happened so fast, in the second day of the war we said, Its about time! Were gonna get this exhibition going! Humanitarian aid was collected at the Art Cell and Carol 53, which is the venue of the exhibition and Daniel Loagar, the one whos the coordinator here, said, Raluca, why dont we put this exhibition together, Bombs and Humans. Easier said than done. And we launched a call to artists, whose unanimous answer was Were all here. Some of them had works on the war theme. Weve got an artist whom I hold most dear, he hails from Bessarabia, he had an exceptional work about the previous conflicts in Ukraine. I invited him with that work, Valeriu Schiau is his name. Otherwise, almost all artists have created dedicated works for this exhibition. Beaver, who also made the poster and the Facebook and the Instagram covers, the emblem of the exhibition. Alexandru Ranga, who created a special object, a sculpture, which is very interesting. Denis Nanciu, Mircea Diaconu, who created special works, in metal, they are sculptors. Ștefan Radu Crețu, who make a graphic work, I have known Ștefan Radu Crețu for a long time now, and his drawings about this conflict, about this war, have been posted on Instagram. We have a war reporter, Alfred Schupler, with some bewildering images. We have snapshots of the protests Romanians staged in Paris, those are photographs, so that is also a photo coverage, Maria Scarlat Malița. Three Ukrainian artists worked with Daniel Loagăr, the one with “The Art cell” and the NeoNlithic project”, where he included artists from the entire Balkan area as well as its adjoining territories. One of those women artists invited artists, people she knew, friends of hers, activists, and all of them answered her call. Of course, we could not have the real-size works, we cannot receive anything from Ukraine, only humanitarian aid is allowed. And they sent texts, images, drawings, everything is tremendously disturbing. And thats how weve reached out to 18 artists form Ukraine.”



    Fine artist Daniel Loagăr is the co-organizer of the exhibition. Here he is, also speaking about the endeavor by means of which the project kicked off, and about the complexity of the works that are on display in the exhibition.



    “This is an exhibition by means of which we sought to express our solidarity, our support and our sympathy for neighbors and friends. In effect, through the studio I am working in, I have been carrying “Wood Be Nice”, an international project I initiated two years ago with Ukrainian and Romanian artists. It was themed “NeoNlithic 2″. We have stayed friends ever since, me and a couple of artists in Cernauti, and now that the war has knocked at their doors, we rushed in to help them out. Starting from the second or the third day of war, we collected humanitarian aid every day, donations, and once in two days, or thereabouts, we sent a van loaded with food, with medicine, with warm clothes in Cernauti and even farther, I understand the last shipment has reached Kyiv. This exhibition, the Bombs and Humans project, weve jointly staged it with curator Raluca Ilaria Demetrescu. One night, while we were speaking about the actual existing threats, about the nuclear threat, to be more specific, I sent Raluca this idea, made of a couple of projects, themed Sweets and Humans, Flowers and Humans, and she was quick to respond, she contacted artists from Romania who joined in for the projects, part of them I brought myself, as for those from Ukraine, I also brought them, with my colleague at the Wood Be Nice artists studio. There was no limit as regards the techniques. We have sculptures, we have linocut works, we have graphic art, we have installations, we have painting, we have video installations, we have movies. There were no limitations for us. The message we conveyed to the artists was something like: create about what you feel this very moment, about what you think right now. And, of course, all of us are against the war and all of us have been trying to support our neighbours in Ukraine. It is a message of hope, in its initial stage, a message of solidarity, of friendship and I also think theres another message that needs to be conveyed, we cannot go on like that, weve had enough of it. All the works have been put up for sale, 20% of the purchase price goes to Ukraine, all artists have agreed on that.”



    Here is Raluca Ilaria Demetrescu once again, this time touching upon the moments weve been experiencing, upon the charity dimension of our project, also touching upon a prospective path, for the future.



    “A state of emergency. A local and planetary crisis. The war against Ukraine is the topic that brought these artists together, they all managed to get their work done at such a short notice. It is a protest-exhibition, “Bombs and Humans. Artists united against the war, it is also a charity exhibition. It is venued by an underground area, it is not mounted in an institutional area, weve staged it with the clear purpose of emphasizing the emergency. You dont go to a comfortable place, with white walls, a clean space, when what you have to say is urgent, theres no room for you to do that either. All the seats have been taken. All these people have gathered, they worked especially on this theme, the overwhelming majority worked on that theme of the war waged by Putin. It is a war waged by men, aggressive and strong, against women, against children, against civilians, against a people who did them no harm in any way, save for their wish to get closer to Europe. On the opening day we had some sort of admission ticket, meaning that visitors had to bring aid, like canned food, unperishable foodstuff or hygiene objects, for the victims of the war and for the refugees from Ukraine. We sold various objects created by the artists. We keep on selling them. A little bit of funding has also been raised. With the money we got we shall buy objects the refugees and the victims of this war need. The message is that the war must end, right now. It is a message of peace; it is a protest against the war. Some more artists have turned up even after weve had the opening event. We can continue, it depends on the available premises were going to find. By all means, artists are going to work focusing on this theme. Besides, we should not forget were vulnerable any time. “


    (EN)

  • March 23, 2022 UPDATE

    March 23, 2022 UPDATE

    NATO — Romanian President, Klaus Iohannis on Thursday will attend the extraordinary NATO summit in Brussels, the Presidential Administration has announced. The meeting is held in the context of the Russian invasion of Ukraine which has increased risks to regional, European and Euro-Atlantic security. The heads of state and government will address the consequences of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and decide on the next steps to strengthen NATO’s deterrence and defence. Speaking at a press conference ahead of the extraordinary NATO Summit, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg previewed the decisions that he expects leaders to take, such as declaring four new NATO battle groups in Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia, strengthening NATO’s posture across all domains, providing additional support to Ukraine and stepping up support for other partners at risk from Russian pressure.



    RULING – The Romanian High Court of Cassation and Justice on Wednesday ruled that former president Traian Basescu collaborated with the political police during the communist period. The ruling is final. The Court dismissed Basescu’s appeal as ungrounded, and maintained the initial decision taken by the Bucharest Court of Appeal in September 2019. The former president denies having collaborated with the communist political police and has announced he will address the European Court of Human Rights.



    RECOVERY PLAN – The Romanian Minister of Investment and European Projects, Dan Vilceanu, said Wednesday that Romania will ask Brussels for another 6 billion euros under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. The total amount earmarked by the EU for Romania under the Plan is 29.9 billion euros, which will go mostly to reforms and investment.



    UKRAINE – The humanitarian crisis in Ukraines besieged cities is deepening. According to the Ukrainian authorities, a significant part of Mariupol has been destroyed by shelling and some estimates speak of thousands of civilians killed in this city. Those still trapped have no access to food, water, electricity and heating and around 100,000 want to leave the area, Kyiv announced. A number of attempts to open humanitarian corridors have failed, because the ceasefire agreements were broken. The authorities are also speaking about a humanitarian disaster in Kherson, a city conquered by the Russian forces. News agencies note that the Russian forces seem to stall on all fronts and even to be pushed back in some places, including near Kyiv. According to Reuters, the Russian army has made some advances in the south and east. On Wednesday, Ukrainian president Volodymy Zelensky addressed the French Parliament asking its members to help put an end to the war and calling on French companies to leave Russia. Also on Wednesday, in an address to the Japanese Parliament, Zelensky asked Japan to increase the pressure of sanctions on Russia by imposing a commercial embargo on Russian products.



    REFUGEES – The UN High Commissioner for Refugees is planning to open an office in Iaşi, in the north-east of Romania, to provide assistance to the Ukrainians fleeing war in their country. Physical individuals and companies who want to help Ukrainian refugees entering Romania can make money transfers directly to the General Inspectorate for Emergencies, in a special account opened for this purpose, the Bucharest Government has announced. Since the start of the war on 24th February, more than half a million Ukrainian refugees have crossed the border into Romania, over 2 million have fled to Poland and almost 370,000 to the Republic of Moldova. The World Health Organisation warned that around 500,000 refugees need medical assistance because they suffer from various conditions, including mental ones.



    GAS – The European Union will propose member states to fill their gas storage to at least 90% of capacity before winter and is considering a cap on gas and electricity prices. According to France Presse news agency, the European Commission thus seeks to reduce purchases of Russian gas by two thirds. The International Energy Agency is also preparing a series of measures to reduce Europes dependence on Russian gas, said the US secretary of energy Jennifer Granholm. In Bucharest, energy minister Virgil Popescu said Romania will also secure its supply of natural gas for next winter from other sources, including the Black Sea, through the off-shore exploitation of a perimeter by the company Black Sea Oil & Gas. The project began two years ago, is about to be finalised and is estimated to provide 10% of the countrys gas supply by the end of the year.



    CORONAVIRUS — Some 4,521 new cases of infection with Covid-19 have been reported in 24 hours in Romania, 619 less than the previous day, the Health Ministry announced. Since the start of the pandemic in Romania, some 2,8 million cases of infection have been reported, along with 65 thousand related deaths. After all restrictions were lifted in Romania on March 9, Health Minister Alexandru Rafila has recommended Romanians to further wear masks in crowded places and on public transport. Representatives of the World Health Organisation have announced that many of the European countries that lifted restrictions are now faced with a significant increase in infections. (EE)



  • March 22, 2022

    March 22, 2022

    REFUGEES — The number of refugees entering Romania from the neighbouring Ukraine through Vama Siret check point, in the north, has been on the decrease for a few days. According to the most recent report, less than 2,000 refugees passed through the check point in 24 hours, half the daily average last week. Many Ukrainians fleeing war now stop in the refugee centres in Cernauti, while a big part of the population is blocked in the besieged cities. Humanitarian organisations are looking for ways to provide people in the affected localities with essential supplies.



    UKRAINE –The Ukrainian military claims its forces have retaken the town of Makariv, west of Kyiv, the BBC reports. Also, according to Ukraines ministry of defence, Russian forces have stockpiles of ammunition and food for no more than three days, but the air attacks of the Russian forces seems to have intensified in the last 24 hours. The port city of Mariupol, destroyed by the Russian bombs, continues to be the invaders’ main target. According to Radio Romania’s correspondent in Ukraine, the number of victims increased in the city of Zhytomyr, where many civilian buildings have been bombarded. The education ministry in Kiev has decided that classes will be held exclusively online. 7.5 million children in Ukraine have been affected by war and 350,000 of them can no longer go to school because their parents decided to take refuge abroad.



    INFLATION — The National Bank of Romania is expecting the inflation rate to exceed the estimated level of 11% by mid-year, for reasons such as the rise in the price of fuel, energy and cereals, all of these triggered by the war in Ukraine. In order to keep things in check, the Central Bank may increase the reference rate again. Stay tuned for more on this topic, after the news.



    FAKE NEWS – The Romanian Economy Ministry and major retail chains will set up a crisis cell that should react promptly to fake news, such as the news that triggered the sudden and unjustified increase in the fuel prices, Minister Florin Spataru has announced. He has explained that the lack of reaction to such news is likely to affect consumers, producers and distributors alike. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a number of false information has emerged in the Romanian public space, generating panic. Stay tuned for more on this topic, after the news.



    VISIT – Polish President, Andrej Duda is today paying a visit to Bucharest, to hold talks with his Romanian counterpart Klaus Iohannis. According to the Presidential Administration, the two leaders hold bone-to-one and official talks. Andrej Duda made a working visit to Chisinau on Monday, to meet with the Moldovan President Maia Sandu. He announced that Poland supports Moldova’s bid for the EU and will grant this country a 20-million euro interest-free loan for the management of the wave of Ukrainian refugees entering its territory. Duda also said that, in almost one month of war, over 360,000 Ukrainian refugees entered Moldova, of whom almost 100,000 remained in the country. Maia Sandu asked her Polish counterpart to support the opening of the EU market for the Moldovan products which can no longer be exported to the east due to the war.



    CORONAVIRUS – Almost 2,240 new cases of Covid-19 in 24 hours have been reported in Romania, by 150 cases more than a week ago. Also, 12 related deaths have been reported. 3,000 people are treated in hospital, of whom 455 are in intensive care. In Romania, all Covid restrictions were lifted from 9th March. (EE)





  • March 20, 2022 UPDATE

    March 20, 2022 UPDATE

    PLAN The Romanian government is working on a
    national plan aimed at offering assistance to the Ukrainian refugees who have
    made it to Romania. Authorities plan to provide support to the refugees who
    decided to stay in Romania offering them jobs, medical assistance and education
    for their children. Six working groups have been set up to deal with the issue.
    The European Commission is to send to Bucharest a team who will assess the
    expenses the government had with the Ukrainian refugees and how to settle them
    with EU funds. Roughly 80 thousand Ukrainian refugees have decided to stay in
    Romania and four thousand of them have applied for asylum. Over three thousand
    Ukrainians have managed to get legal employment in Romania since the beginning
    of the war on February 24th. Over half a million Ukrainian refugees
    have so far arrived in Romania and roughly 30 thousand are children. The total
    number of refugees has been estimated at 3.3 million.






    COVID-19 2241 new covid-19 infections have been reported in Romania
    in the past 24 hours as well as 16 fatalities. The number of those infected in
    need of hospital care is coming close to 3000 out of whom 464 are being treated
    in ICUs. Romania has also registered 48 thousand acute respiratory infections
    in a week since the restrictions were lifted on March 9th. No
    prevention rules are currently in place in Romania.






    UKRAINE Ukrainian president Volodymyr
    Zelensky on Sunday said he held talks with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron
    on cooperation and ways of finding a peaceful solution to the conflict,
    liberating the Ukrainian territories and saving people’s lives. At least 260
    civilians have been killed in the fights for the city of Kharkiv in the
    north-east of the country since the Russian troops commenced their onslaught on
    Ukraine almost a month ago. The city has constantly been under mortar fire and
    several residential buildings have been hit. The port-city of Mariupol has been
    destroyed almost 98%, the local authorities have announced accusing Russia of
    having transferred thousands of locals to isolated areas in Russia by force. Many
    Western countries had moved their diplomats from Kiev to Lviv even before the
    Russian invasion on February 24th. On Saturday, Japan’s Prime
    Minister Fumio Kishida and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi called for the
    immediate cessation of violence in Ukraine. The USA has confirmed the use by
    Russia of the hypersonic Kinzhal missiles in its attacks against Ukraine. At
    least 900 civilians have been killed and 1399 wounded in Ukraine since the
    beginning of the conflict, says the Office of the UN Commissioner for Human
    Rights. Pope Francis on Sunday described the war in Ukraine as a senseless
    massacre and called on world leaders to stop ‘this repugnant war’. The next
    round of talks between Ukraine and Russia could take place on Monday and
    according to papers in Kiev, the talks are going to unfold online. Turkish
    Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu says the sides are close to reaching an
    agreement on several critical issues and some issues have already been agreed
    upon.






    FRANCOPHONY More than ever the big family of
    Francophony must prove solidarity to face the severe challenges in the
    Francophone space, such as Russia’s horrible aggression against Ukraine, the
    tragic humanitarian situation it created, the security gap and the threat of
    terrorism in some regions of Africa, Romanian Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca said
    on Sunday in a message conveyed on the occasion of the Day of Francophony. The
    Francophony is a community of values but these common values are threatened by
    the war Russia is waging in Ukraine, Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu
    has also said. Romania became a member of the International Organisation of
    Francophony in 1993. The Romanian Peasant Museum on Sunday screened several French
    film productions and the National Opera in Bucharest staged Giselle by Adolphe
    Charles Adam under the baton of Ciprian Teodorescu. The cast also included
    several Ukrainian ballet dancers who took refuge in Romania and had been
    offered contracts with the National Opera in Bucharest.






    SALES According to international
    research, Romania’s online sales have increased more than seven times in the past
    decade as compared to other countries in Eastern Europe. Online sales in 2020
    increased 70% as compared to the previous year, as a result of the pandemic.
    There is a 23% gap between the online users in the cities and those in the
    rural areas, the highest at EU level.






    (bill)

  • March 17, 2022 UPDATE

    March 17, 2022 UPDATE

    TALKS Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis on
    Thursday said a substantial and balanced consolidation of NATO’s eastern flank
    is urgently needed against the background of the present security situation,
    which he described as ‘particularly concerning’. The Romanian official made the
    statement after the talks he held in Bucharest on Thursday with his Estonian
    counterpart Alar Karis. Iohannis also said he would present these priorities of
    Romania’s at the upcoming NATO summit in Brussels. The Estonian president, who
    had earlier paid a visit to Chisinau, underlined that more actions are needed on
    NATO’s eastern flank, due to Russia’s aggressive behavior. He said the Republic
    of Moldova must be helped in this ‘terrible crisis’. Also on Thursday, Iohannis
    held talks in Bucharest with the Spanish Premier Pedro Sanches. High on the
    agenda were the refugee crisis, the impact of the crisis in Ukraine, mainly
    from the energy point of view and its implications for the region’s security.
    Romania and Spain have convergent opinions over the importance we should attach
    to developing the energy transport infrastructure, the connection between the
    member countries, increasing production and storage capabilities – the head of
    the Romanian state said. In turn the Spanish Prime Minister said the economic
    effects of the war in Ukraine are severe. We’ve all condemned this invasion
    said Sanchez adding the package of sanctions against Russia will continue to
    increase. The Spanish official also met his Romanian counterpart Nicolae Ciuca
    and both appreciated the joint NATO-EU response to the crisis in Ukraine and
    the importance of solidarity with the states dealing first hand with the
    refugee crisis.






    UKRAINE In the absence of any sign that the
    Russian forces would slow down their onslaught against the port-city of
    Mariupol, efforts to evacuate civilians through safe corridors are carried on.
    30 thousand inhabitants have left the city including 300 people, who according
    to Moscow, went by bus over the border in Rostov. A theatre in Mariupol sheltering
    hundreds of civilians was bombed by the Russian forces on Wednesday. After
    speaking before the US Congress yesterday, Ukraine’s president Volodymyr
    Zelensky on Thursday talked before the Bundestag calling on Germany to tear down
    the new wall against freedom created in Europe by Russian president Vladimir
    Putin. France announced it would unblock 300 million euro in aid to Ukraine.
    Paris had already supplied the Ukrainian forces with defensive equipment and
    fuel. And Kiev is benefitting from a massive support from the USA and other
    NATO members. Washington announced one billion dollars in military assistance
    to this country within a week.






    COVID The World Health Organization (WHO) has
    expressed concern over the resurge in the number of coronavirus cases across
    the world, against the backdrop of the relaxation of restrictions and the
    promotion of the false idea that the Omicron strain is harmless. WHO director,
    Tedros Ghebreyesus says last week the number of infections went up 8% globally
    compared to the previous week. China is facing a large number of infections,
    after two years when incidence rates were kept at a minimum. Israel has
    announced two new cases of infection with an unknown variant, whereas France,
    the Netherlands and Denmark reported a type of infection that combines the
    Delta and Omicron strains. According to the latest report of the Group for
    Strategic Communication, Romania reported a little over 4,000 new cases and 63
    related fatalities within the space of 24 hours, of which 27 were prior to the
    reference period.






    NATO In Brussels, NATO Defense Ministers
    decided to extend the term of the Alliance’s consolidated posture, particularly
    on the eastern flank, due to the war in Ukraine. NATO Secretary General Jens
    Stoltenberg warned that Russia’s readiness to use force must not be
    underestimated, nor should the fact that Russia is a nuclear power. The NATO
    official said there is unanimity in the Alliance’s decision not to send forces
    on the ground or to enforce a no-fly zone over Ukraine. Soltenberg explained
    that NATO wants to prevent the war in Ukraine from spreading to the region. In
    turn, NATO Deputy Secretary General, Mircea Geoană, said the Alliance’s new posture does not
    mean the Alliance believes Russia will attack NATO, but is simply a form of
    deterrence. Mircea Geoană explained that the battlegroup created in Romania
    will soon be fully operational.



    (bill)

  • NATO enhances deterrence against Russia

    NATO enhances deterrence against Russia

    As the Russian army carries on its aggression in
    Ukraine, in Brussels NATO defence ministers decided to strengthen the Alliance’s
    long-term posture, particularly in the eastern flank, including Romania.


    The grounds for the decision were summarised by the
    Alliance’s secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, as follows: Russia’s
    willingness to resort to force must not be underestimated, nor should one overlook
    the fact that the country has nuclear capabilities.


    Still, as NATO’s deputy secretary general Mircea
    Geoană explained, this is not an indication of an imminent conflict with the
    Russian Federation, but rather a deterrence move.


    NATO’s reset military positioning in the East will involve
    a substantial increase in the number of rapid response land forces with prepositioned
    equipment and supplies, more air power, strengthened integrated air and missile
    defence, carrier strike groups, submarines and significant numbers of combat
    ships. Cyber defence will also be enhanced.


    According to Stoltenberg, Allies are united when it
    comes to that NATO should not deploy forces on the ground or in the airspace of
    Ukraine, to make sure that Vladimir Putin’s war doesn’t spiral into a conflict
    between two nuclear blocs.


    Nonetheless, NATO defence ministers decided to
    continue providing financial, humanitarian and military assistance to Kyiv, as
    they have done so far, which helped make the Ukrainian resistance possible. As for
    discouraging Moscow’s possible plans to have the conflict escalate beyond Ukraine,
    NATO’s battlegroup in Romania will be fully operational shortly.


    With respect to the size or possible permanent status
    of the new battlegroups in the East, NATO’s deputy secretary general Mircea
    Geoană said a final decision would be taken in a summit in June. Meanwhile, given
    that the entire security situation in Europe has changed, Allies were urged to
    invest at least 2% of GDP in defence. Romania, which has done so for several
    years now, has recently decided to increase the GDP share earmarked for defence
    to 2.5%.


    In short, NATO does not anticipate a Russian attack on
    Allied territory, especially since 75% of Russia’s forces are deployed in
    Ukraine, without notable results. But, secretary general Jens Stoltenberg reiterated,
    NATO will not tolerate any attack on Allied sovereignty or territorial
    integrity. The NATO official also called on Russia’s president Putin to stop
    the war immediately and to engage in diplomacy in good faith.


    The huge disproportion between NATO and Russian forces
    favours the Allies, and this can be seen in Moscow as well, the participants in
    the extraordinary meeting of NATO defence ministers in Brussels agreed. (A.M.P.)

  • March 16, 2022 UPDATE

    March 16, 2022 UPDATE

    Chisinau. Romanian
    President Klaus Iohannis and Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca were received on Wednesday
    afternoon in Chisinau by the President and Prime Minister of the Republic of
    Moldova Maia Sandu and Natalia Gavriliţa respectively. Iohannis stressed that Romania stood by the
    side of the Republic of Moldova as always, and appreciated the efforts made by
    the country in the context of the war in Ukraine. You can count on us. And,
    besides Romania, all the European and Euro-Atlantic states are in solidarity
    with you, the Romanian head of state also said. In turn, the President of the
    Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, stated that her country needed the support of
    its partners to overcome the challenges caused by the war. What is happening
    in Ukraine is terrible. The military actions have destabilized the entire
    region, and the challenges caused by this war are also putting pressure on the
    Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu underlined. She said that 340,000 people had
    crossed the border between Moldova and Ukraine since the start of the war,
    leaving 100,000 refugees in Moldova. We recall that, on March 3, Maia Sandu
    signed the application for the accession of the Republic of Moldova to the
    European Union. Romania has announced it will fully support Moldova’s European
    aspirations. As regards the refugees situation in Romania, more than 15 thousand Ukrainians crossed Romania’s borders on
    Tuesday, in 24 hours, according to the Romanian border police. Since the start
    of the crisis, until March 15th, some 440 thousand Ukrainians entered Romania.












    Ukraine. The
    International Court of Justice in The Hague, the UN’s highest court, on
    Wednesday ordered Russia to immediately cease its military operations in
    Ukraine. The court had been notified by Kyiv, but Moscow boycotted the hearings
    and rejected the ICJ’s jurisdiction over the case. Although the Court’s
    verdicts are binding, the international court has no executive powers to effectively
    enforce its rulings. Also on Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky
    addressed the US Congress via video call, again calling for support for the
    security of his country’s airspace, for humanitarian purposes. He pointed out
    that Ukraine still needed defensive weapons and aircraft to cope with the
    Russian invasion. Zelensky showed the Congress footage of the atrocities his
    people were going through and called for more support. Today the Ukrainian
    people are defending not only Ukraine. We are fighting for the values of Europe
    and the world, sacrificing our lives in the name of the future the
    Ukrainian leader said. US President Joe Biden confirmed on Wednesday that an
    additional 800 million dollar worth of military aid would be sent to Ukraine,
    including drones and anti-missile systems. On Tuesday, the US Senate
    unanimously passed a resolution condemning Russian President Vladimir Putin as a
    war criminal. Putin said on Wednesday that the military operation in Ukraine
    was a success and that Moscow would not let the country become a bridgehead
    for aggressive actions against Russia.












    NATO. Secretary-General Jens
    Stoltenberg has announced a further strengthening of the Alliance’s eastern
    flank and has ruled out the deployment of ground or air troops in Ukraine. He
    spoke at the meeting of the defense ministers of the member countries, which
    was also attended by the Romanian Defense Minister Vasile Dîncu. They decided
    to change NATO’s long term posture in the context of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
    Stoltenberg explained that the change was necessary since the whole security
    situation in Europe had changed and urged the Allies to invest at least 2% of
    the gross domestic product in defense. He warned that Russia’s willingness to
    use force should not be underestimated.








    Negotiations. Russian
    Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said that although negotiations with the
    Ukrainian side have been difficult, there is some hope for a compromise. He
    said he drew that conclusion based on the views of members of his country’s
    delegation, as well as some of Ukraine’s representatives in the talks,
    including advisers to President Volodymyr Zelensky. According to the Radio
    Romania correspondent in Moscow, regarding the condition of demilitarization,
    Russia – Lavrov said – is ready to agree with Ukraine on the types of weapons
    that do not pose a threat to Moscow. On Wednesday, the head of the Russian
    delegation to the negotiations with Ukraine, Vladimir Medinsky, said that the
    talks were difficult, but Russia wanted to reach peace as soon as possible and
    conclude an agreement that would last for generations. Volodymyr Zelensky said
    Russia’s position sounded more realistic, but added that it would take time for
    the decisions to benefit Ukraine.










    Meetings. Romanian president Klaus Iohannis will meet, on Thursday,
    in Bucharest, with his Estonian counterpart, Alar Karis. Also on Thursday, the
    Romanian head of state will receive the Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.
    There will be official and one-on-one talks, Romanian-Estonian and
    Romanian-Spanish, followed by press statements.(MI)



  • Romania increases refugee assistance

    Romania increases refugee assistance

    Over 3 million people have so far fled Ukraine because
    of the war. The figure only includes those who left the country after the
    invasion of Russian forces on February 24, but not the ones displaced within
    Ukrainian borders.


    Almost half of the nearly 3 million refugees are
    children. Poland has received the largest number of Ukrainian nationals-some 1.8
    million, while other destinations for those who run away from the war are the
    Republic of Moldova and Romania.


    About half a million Ukrainian citizens chose to come
    to Romania, but most of these only transited the country on their way to
    Western Europe. But as the Russian invasion continues, Bucharest is preparing
    to handle an ever-growing number of refugees.


    The government announced plans to set up another 2
    hubs for collecting and transporting humanitarian aid for Ukraine, apart from
    the one already operating in Suceava (north-east). One of them will be located
    in the north-west of the country, in Sighetu Marmaţiei, and the other one in
    the south-east, at Isaccea, on the river Danube. Both localities are checkpoints
    on Romania’s border with Ukraine.


    PM Nicolae Ciucă Tuesday travelled to Isaccea, and
    announced that 2 more ferries may be brought in, to help the refugees cross
    into Romania more efficiently:


    Nicolae Ciucă: On the other side of the border there are many
    Ukrainian citizens waiting to leave the country, so we discussed options for
    transport and processing in case their number goes up. It is clear that with
    only one ferry we cannot ensure smoother crossing, so we talked to the transport
    ministry and found out that there are back-up ferries in Galaţi that may be
    used in order for us to ensure a higher crossing rate.


    While in Romania, Ukrainian refugees have access to
    all the healthcare services and programmes available to Romanian citizens. A total
    of 3,300 places are available nation-wide for the injured and for the refugees
    who need surgery.


    In the capital Bucharest, the North Train Station has
    become one of the most important aid centres for the refugees. For almost 2
    weeks now, many Ukrainians have been coming here by train, with no idea where
    to go next. They are helped by City Hall staff and volunteers, who provide them
    with food and temporary accommodation options.


    In fact, a survey indicates that over half of Romania’s
    population has already got involved in assistance and relief programmes for the
    Ukrainian refugees, and more than 8 in 10 Romanians believe Romania has been
    pro-active in this respect.


    Special mention must also be made of the
    non-governmental sector, which initiated new campaigns or adjusted ongoing programmes
    in order to help those in need. The promptness with which Romanians and Romanian
    associations and organisations have mobilised since the start of the war in
    Ukraine, to provide transport, accommodation and translation services, is
    admirable, reads the survey, which also says, on the other hand, that 55% of
    the Romanians voice pessimism regarding the future and safety of neighbouring
    Ukraine. (A.M.P.)

  • Support for Ukraine

    Support for Ukraine

    Romania will take care of
    all the Ukrainian nationals who reach its territory, president Klaus Iohannis
    promised his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky, in a telephone conversation
    in which he also reiterated Romania’s full support for Ukraine’s EU accession.


    During the almost 3 weeks
    since Russia started the war in Ukraine, over 400,000 Ukrainian citizens entered
    Romania, and nearly one-fifth of them stayed here.


    Both the authorities and
    civil society have been quick to provide assistance, ever since the first wave
    of refugees: people fleeing the war at home received everything from free hot
    meals and accommodation to free transport and necessity goods, donations (including
    a charity concert that raised over EUR 750,000), job opportunities as well as healthcare
    or classes for the children who stayed in Romania.


    An EU-coordinated
    humanitarian hub set up in Suceava, in northern Romania, near the Ukrainian
    border, started operating last week and relief is already being delivered. The
    hub is critical in facilitating the transfer of donations raised in EU member
    states and from other countries and organisations.


    Assistance was also provided by Romania to
    those who are only transiting the country, which includes not only Ukrainian
    nationals but also third-country citizens who were in Ukraine when the war
    broke out.


    Among these were over 3,000 Israeli
    citizens and over 1,200 Jewish Ukrainians. Romania helped them enter the
    country and leave for Israel, the Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu announced
    after a meeting in Bucharest with his Israeli counterpart Yair Lapid. Jewish
    children from Odesa, children with cancer, were sent to Israel for treatment,
    and thousands of refugees fled via the Siret checkpoint. Their lives were saved
    thanks to the cooperation between our countries. Thank you, and thanks to the
    government of Romania, for cooperation and assistance, said Yair Lapid, who also
    visited the Siret checkpoint on Sunday.


    On the other hand, the
    World Health Organisation expressed concerns that the war in Ukraine may cause
    a spike in COVID-19 cases. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
    also issued an alert for the countries hosting refugees from Ukraine, warning
    of high rates of anti-microbial resistance in Ukraine, and also of polio and
    measles outbreaks that prompted a state of biological emergency being declared
    in October. This is why the EU institution recommends patient isolation in
    hospitals so as to prevent infectious diseases from spreading. (A.M.P.)

  • Romania will not face a food crisis

    Romania will not face a food crisis

    After the potassium iodide pill craze and the queues at the gas stations, a new wave of mass panic followed in Romania: recently, the price of edible oil has doubled or even tripled, because people bought very large amounts for fear that, because of the conflict in Ukraine, they might no longer find the product in stores. Ukraine, Romanias neighbor, was, before the moment of Russia’s aggression against it, Europe’s main supplier of crude edible oil, and since the outbreak of the war, its price has doubled. The Romanian economy minister, Florin Spătaru, has announced that controls are starting at the edible oil traders and distributors. He has given assurances that there is no reason to panic, and that Romania has sufficient food reserves.



    Florin Spătaru: There is no reason to worry that we will no longer have stocks of edible oil and we should not react to the doubling or tripling of prices that have no economic justification.



    Florin Spătaru is convinced that these controls will defuse the so-called ‘edible oil crisis’, just as happened in the case of the fuel craze. The agriculture minister, Adrian Chesnoiu, stated, after new discussions with the representatives of the production, processing, and marketing chains, that Romania is not running the risk of a food crisis, because it produces enough to cover its domestic consumption, including in terms of sunflower oil.



    Romania ranks first in the European Union in terms of sunflower production and has also been the largest exporter of seeds at EU level in the last five years. The conclusion of the talks with the representatives of the farmers, of the edible oil producers and of the big commercial networks is that, until the new harvest, Romania has sufficient stocks for the domestic production of sunflower oil.



    Adrian Chesnoiu: “We produce enough food and agri-food products so that we can be independent in terms of foodstuffs. Now, Romania is not running any risk of a food crisis or of major imbalances, because it produces enough food for the consumption needs of the population.



    In turn, the farmers representative, Alina Gheorghiţă, underlined that the vegetable production exceeds the need of the country, which, in her opinion, should increase the peoples psychological comfort and dispel fears of an edible oil shortage. George Bădescu, representing the Association of Large Commercial Networks, has pointed out that buying thoughtfully eliminates the risk of foodstuffs expiring at home. He has recommended consumers to buy moderately and avoid food waste. Rumors in times of war are dangerous, and the authorities are again calling on the citizens to get informed only from official sources, in order to avoid unclear situations. (LS)

  • March 11, 2022 UPDATE

    March 11, 2022 UPDATE

    VISIT Romanian people were extraordinary in the generosity and the
    courage they have shown in the context of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the US
    VP Kamala Harris said in Bucharest on Friday, in a joint press conference with
    the Romanian president Klaus Iohannis. In turn, the Romanian president pointed
    out that NATO will act without hesitation to defend each Allied state,
    including Romania, and during the dialogue with Kamala Harris he was assured of
    the US commitment to Article 5 of the NATO Treaty. Mr. Iohannis also stated that
    the US and NATO military presence in Romania must be further enhanced, in the
    long run, as an additional measure to ensure the security of the country and
    the region. Klaus Iohannis and Kamala Harris also discussed the need to step up
    defence and deterrence measures in the Alliance’s eastern flank, with a focus
    on the Black Sea area in the south. Meanwhile, according to president Iohannis,
    the current energy crisis may be a historic opportunity for Europe to become
    truly independent of Russian natural gas, through investments in renewable
    sources, in the civilian nuclear sector, imports of liquefied natural gas and stronger
    interconnection. The US vice president visited Romania for the first time,
    coming from Poland as part of a diplomatic tour prompted by the Ukraine war.


    UKRAINE Russia will pay a severe price if it uses chemical
    weapons in Ukraine, the US president Joe Biden warned on Friday, and announced
    new sanctions against Russia. Joe Biden also undertook to avoid direct conflict
    between NATO and Russia, as this would lead to a third world war. In Moscow, the
    Russian presidency spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the hostilities in Ukraine will
    end when the West has taken measures with respect to Russia’s concerns
    regarding the killing of civilians in eastern Ukraine and NATO’s eastwards
    enlargement. Meanwhile, as the Russian troops that entered Ukraine on February
    24th are attempting to surround Kyiv, Turkey announced relocating its
    embassy to Chernivtsi, some 40 km from the Romanian border. Turkey was among
    the last countries keeping their embassies in Kyiv.


    SUMMIT The war in Ukraine and its impact on Europeans’ lives
    and economies was in the focus of the EU summit in Versailles on Friday as well.
    The EU continues to provide humanitarian, medical and financial aid to the
    Ukrainian refugees and to the host countries, the EU leaders said in a
    statement, also calling on Russia to ensure safe passage to the civilians
    trying to leave the country and to allow humanitarian relief to reach the
    victims. The 27 EU leaders also discussed the European Commission’s plan to
    reduce by 2-thirds Russian gas imports this year and to make sure that no EU
    member state purchases hydrocarbons from Russia by 2030. Russia’s natural gas
    covers over 40% of the EU demand, and 4 alternatives are currently under
    analysis: imports from other countries, diversifying sources, putting together
    substantial stocks ahead of each winter season and developing renewable energy
    sources.


    COVID-19 Almost 3,000 new
    cases of Covid-19 in 24 hours were announced on Friday in Romania. 50 deaths
    were also reported, of which 3 from a previous date. Less than 4,000 people are
    hospitalized, 608 being in intensive care. After almost two years of alert, all
    the restrictions imposed by the pandemic have been lifted in Romania since
    March 9. On the other hand, the authorities announce that the vaccination
    against COVID-19 is moving to the family doctors’ offices. The vaccination rate
    is still low, with just over 8.1 million people fully vaccinated. (A.M.P.)

  • March 10, 2022

    March 10, 2022

    FUEL PRICES
    PM Nicolae Ciucă announced thorough
    inspections in all oil companies in Romania, after panic last night caused
    unprecedented queuing in petrol stations. The PM warned that the required
    measures will be taken to curb any illegal, abusive and economically unjustified
    practices. Mr. Ciucǎ made these statements after an emergency meeting with the
    ministers of energy and economy and the heads of the Competition Council, the
    Consumer Protection Authority and the fiscal authority. The institutions have
    already initiated inspections following an unjustified fuel price rise. The energy
    minister Virgil Popescu also posted a message on social media, stating the
    sanctions against those who break the law will be drastic.


    REFUGEES PM Nicolae Ciucă is
    having talks today with the EU commissioner for crisis management Janez
    Lenarčič, who took part on Wednesday in the opening of the European hub for
    humanitarian aid for Ukraine, in Suceava (northern Romania). The EU official
    said he was encouraged by the solidarity shown by the EU and its member states,
    including Romania. A new call-centre has also been opened today in Romania for
    the Ukrainian refugees, with Ukrainian-speaking personnel, among others. Some
    320,000 Ukrainian nationals have entered Romania over the past 2 weeks, and
    nearly 235,000 of them have already left the country.


    COVID-19 Roughly 4,200 new SARS-CoV-2 cases and 62
    related deaths were reported for the past 24 hours in Romania, the Strategic
    Communication Group announced on Wednesday. After almost 2 years in a state of
    alert, Romania lifted all COVID-19 related restrictions on March 9th.
    The authorities announced that those citizens whose ID expired over the past 2
    years have to renew their documents within 3 months. As many as 387,000 people
    must get new identity documents by June 7th.


    SUMMIT EU leaders convene today and tomorrow in Versailles, France, for a
    summit focusing on Europe’s energy independence, on strengthening the bloc’s defence
    and on the EU accession request signed recently by Ukraine. A new plan will be
    discussed, most likely to be funded through a new joint loan, in order to
    address the consequences of the Russian invasion in Ukraine. As regards the
    energy crisis, the European Commission has recently presented the RePowerEU initiative,
    designed to reduce Europe’s dependence on Russian gas, which accounts for over 40%
    of the Union’s natural gas consumption. As for Ukraine, a strengthened
    partnership is being considered, by tightening Kyiv’s ties with the European
    single market and connecting Ukraine with the European energy network.


    PRESIDENCY Romania will be represented in the Versailles summit
    by president Klaus Iohannis. Ahead of the meeting, he took part
    on Monday in a video call with the president of the European Council Charles Michel, and the prime-ministers of the
    Netherlands, Greece, Croatia and Estonia. President Iohannis emphasised the
    importance of firmly maintaining the unity and coordination within the EU and between
    the Union and the US, NATO and other strategic partners, in responding to
    Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. Mr.
    Iohannis also presented the measures taken by Romania to support Ukraine, including
    the set-up of a hub collecting and coordinating international aid to Ukraine
    and Moldova. The president of Romania also emphasised Romania’s support for the
    EU accession requests signed by Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Georgia.


    UKRAINE Today’s negotiations
    between the Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers, Sergey Lavrov and Dmytro
    Kuleba, mediated by Turkey, failed to lead to any progress towards a ceasefire.
    Promises were made to carry on humanitarian efforts to evacuate civilians,
    without any firm commitment on Russia’s part in this respect. Kuleba added that
    a decision was made to carry on talks in this format. In turn, Lavrov continued
    to accuse Ukraine of seeking to use biological and chemical weapons and of
    being manipulated by the West. Meanwhile, air raid sirens sounded once again
    this morning in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, as the 3rd week of war
    began. According to the Ukrainian army, Russian forces are advancing in an
    attempt to surround the city, and have carried on attacks in other parts of the
    country as well. President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of war crimes.
    Moscow agreed to a 12-hour ceasefire to enable civilians to leave 6 of the most
    affected areas, but the Ukrainian authorities say steady Russian bombing
    prevented some locals from leaving. On the other hand, Ukraine claims it
    killed, wounded or captured over 12,000 Russian soldiers, and destroyed over 330
    tanks, over 1,110 armoured vehicles and some 130 aircraft. Russia claims to
    have destroyed nearly 3,000 military infrastructure elements in Ukraine. (A.M.P.)

  • March 9, 2022 UPDATE

    March 9, 2022 UPDATE

    COVID-19 Little over 4,000 new
    SARS-CoV-2 infection cases were reported on Wednesday in Romania, along with 62
    related deaths, one of which from a previous date, according to the
    authorities. Since the start of the pandemic 2 years ago, nearly 2.8
    million people have caught the disease in the country, and some 65,000 died. At
    midnight on Tuesday, Romania lifted all COVID-related restrictions. Face
    covering is no longer compulsory, and access to public areas is no longer
    conditional on the digital certificate.


    POLL More than 3-quarters of Romanians (75.2%) believe Russia is
    the main party responsible for the war in Ukraine, and only 4.6% point to
    Ukraine, according to an INSCOP MONITOR opinion poll. Close to 8% of the
    respondents believe the West to be guilty for the conflict. Also, 79.2% of the
    respondents agree with the sanctions imposed by the EU and the US against
    Russia, with only 14.1% against them. The number of Romanians who believe their
    country is heading in the right direction has gone up from 19.9% in February to
    35.9%. According to INSCOP, this is because Russia’s aggression reminded people
    of the importance of Romania’s NATO and EU membership and of what this
    security and development umbrella means for the country. Moreover, we have
    all seen infinite proof of kindness and exceptional mobilisation among people
    to support the refugees, which might have had a positive influence on how
    Romanians see their own country today, the organisation explains.


    VISIT Romania’s President, Klaus Iohannis, will receive the US
    Vice President, Kamala Harris in Bucharest on Friday. According to the
    Presidency, Allied measures to strengthen NATO’s deterrence and defence posture
    on the eastern flank will be discussed, including the prospect of further
    increasing the US and allied military presence in Romania. They will also
    address the coordination of the transatlantic community concerning new
    sanctions against Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine. The presence
    of Vice President Kamala Harris in Romania reconfirms the solidity of the
    bilateral Strategic Partnership, the Romanian Presidency also says.


    SANCTIONS 14 business people in key sectors of Russian economy and 146 members
    of the Federation Council (the upper chamber of Russia’s parliament) have been
    added to the list of people who can no longer travel to the EU and whose assets
    in Europe are frozen. The European black list, put together in 2014 when Russia
    annexed Crimea, now comprises a total of 862 individuals and 53 organisations. Member
    countries have also decided to ban the export of maritime navigation and radio
    communication technology to Russia, after having already targeted the aviation
    sector. They also decided to restrict Swift services to 3 Belarusian bank. Furthermore,
    the EU prohibits transactions involving assets of Belarus’s central bank,
    and are drastically restricting the access of Belarus to European financial
    markets for amounts of over EUR 100,000. The measures were approved by EU member
    states in Brussels and will take effect after publication in the Official
    Journal. They are designed to prevent Russia from bypassing the sanctions
    against its own financial and banking sector. The EU accuses Belarus of being
    complicit in Russia’s invasion in Ukraine.


    REFUGEES Nearly 320,000 Ukrainian citizens have entered Romania
    since the onset of the Russian invasion until Tuesday at midnight, the Romanian
    Border Police announced. Of these, about 235,000 have already left Romania. On
    Tuesday, the inflow of Ukrainian refugees declined slightly. Both the Romanian
    authorities and civil society have mobilised quickly and efficiently to provide
    accommodation, food, clothing and medicines to those fleeing the Russian
    invasion. The Romanians’ efforts have been praised by international political leaders
    and Western media. (A.M.P., L.S.)

  • March 8, 2022 UPDATE

    March 8, 2022 UPDATE

    UKRAINE — Russia has sent into Ukraine almost all its initial invasion forces that had been amassed on the border, so most of its 150,000 soldiers are now on the Ukrainian territory, the Pentagon announced on Monday. Moscow continues its offensive to the north, towards Kyiv and to the south, towards the Azov Sea and the Black Sea. Russian ships are now preparing an attack on the city of Odessa, the Radio Romania correspondent reported. He also said that the local administration continues to urge people to leave the city, which is a strategic target for the invaders. A new round of negotiations between Ukraine and Russia has been announced for the next few days, without a firm date being announced. A meeting of the Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers, with the participation of the Turkish foreign minister and mediated by the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is to be held on Thursday in Antalya, Turkey. The UN has requested free passage corridors in the war zones to deliver humanitarian aid to the population. More than 2 million Ukrainians have fled war in less than two weeks, the UN also announced. The World Health Organisation has announced that attacks on hospitals, ambulances and medical facilities in Ukraine have become more frequent, leaving the country without vital medical supplies.



    BUCHAREST – Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Tuesday took part in a videoconference with the European Council President, Charles Michel, aimed at preparing the informal meeting of the European Council due on March 10 and 11 in Versailles. Attending were the prime ministers of the Netherlands, Greece, Croatia and Estonia. Talks focused, among others, on current security evolutions in Ukraine, efforts to manage and support the wave of Ukrainian refugees and humanitarian aid for Ukraine and Moldova. President Iohannis said Romania also supports the EU accession applications of Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia. Also on Tuesday, President Iohannis said in Bucharest that the Russian invasion of Ukraine proved, once again, the need for NATO to consolidate its eastern flank. Iohannis made this statement during a trilateral meeting with Poland and Turkey, at the level of national security advisors. Iohannis hailed the recent decisions taken by NATO to deploy more forces on the eastern flank, and activate the NATO Response Force for collective defence and deterrence.



    CORONAVIRUS — Romanian Health Minister Alexandru Rafila said Tuesday that, starting March 9, all Covid-related restrictions will be lifted as the state of alert expires and will no longer be extended. Mask wearing will no longer be mandatory either outdoors or indoors, and the access to and schedule of commercial centres and public institutions will be unrestricted. Also, the green certificate and traveller location documents will no longer be required at checkpoints. The epidemic sees a declining trend across the country, with the 5th wave of the pandemic close to the end, president Klaus Iohannis said last week. Romania was on alert for nearly 2 years, beginning on May 15, 2020. Over these 2 years, says the Strategic Communication Group, some 64,000 SARS-CoV-2 patients died in Romania.



    VISIT – Romanian president Klaus Iohannis will have political consultations on Friday in Bucharest with the Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris, who pays an official visit to Romania, the Presidential Administration announced. The American official’s visit to Romania reconfirms the solidity of the bilateral Strategic Partnership and the firm commitment of the United States to supporting the security of Romania and of the NATO allies on the eastern flank, the Presidential Administration also announced.



    MOTION – A simple motion initiated by the Save Romania Union (USR, in opposition) against the Liberal Justice Minister Catalin Predoiu will be debated and voted on, on March 14, the Chamber of Deputies’ Standing Bureau announced on Tuesday. In the motion, the USR deputies are asking the Justice Minister to resign, saying that the dismantling of the Section for the Investigation of Crimes within the Judiciary, believed to have been set up to intimidate magistrates and end anti-corruption efforts, has been replaced with a similar but more harmful mechanism. (EE)