Western states and institutions will continue to provide support in any way possible to Ukraine, including by adopting new sanctions against Russia and continuing to isolate Moscow on the global stage. These are the conclusions of the first round of consultations called by US president Joe Biden and attended by NATO, EU and G7 leaders. Representing Romania was president Klaus Iohannis. According to the Presidency, global leaders analyzed the security context and prospects, as well as the serious humanitarian crisis resulted from the withdrawal of Russian troops from occupied regions. They condemned the crimes against civilians and the massive destruction caused in residential areas and the damages to civilian infrastructure, and reiterated their firm support for the activity of the International Criminal Court in investigating, judging and sentencing those responsible.
In his address, president Iohannis highlighted the crucial importance of maintaining close cooperation and unity at Euro-Atlantic level, as well as with all partners who share the same vision. The Romanian president firmly condemned the crimes committed by Russian troops against the civilians and the continuous bombing targeting civilian targets. On the other hand, Klaus Iohannis referred to Romania’s actions to support Ukraine at political, logistical and humanitarian level. Additionally, Romania helps hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian refugees who enter the country, including by providing them with accommodation. The president also underscored the broad impact of the current crisis on the security framework on the eastern flank, especially in the Black Sea. Klaus Iohannis reaffirmed the importance of swiftly implementing the decisions of the extraordinary NATO summit of March regarding the accelerated setup of a battlegroup in Romania, as a first step towards balancing and consolidating NATO’s long-term presence on the eastern flank.
According to the Romanian president, the serious security situation once again proves the need to consolidate NATO’s deterrence and defense posture in the region, and also referred to the decisions regarding the transformation and long-term adaptation of the Alliance, which are expected to be discussed at the NATO Summit in Madrid in June. Romania’s president also underlined the need to support the efforts of the Republic of Moldova at political and economic level with a view to managing the flow of Ukrainian refugees, as well as to help this country deal with the energy crisis. The Romanian official also called for firm and coordinated action in order to eliminate energy reliance on Russia, saying that sanctions turned out to be an effective instrument.
(Ştefan Stoica, Radio Romania International)
