Romania’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Bogdan Aurescu, hailed the adoption of a resolution in the UN General Assembly, condemning Russia’s illegal annexation of Ukrainian territories. 143 UN members voted in favor, including Romania. Meanwhile, Russia today launched new attacks on Ukraine. Drone strikes targeted critical infrastructure in Kyiv, while the city of Mykolaiv was hit by shelling, authorities say. In recent weeks Ukraine has been the target of air strikes carried out by Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones. Teheran denies having delivered such drones to Russia while Moscow refused to comment. The Kremlin has also intensified its attacks on civilian objectives in response to the explosion on the Kerch bridge, which Moscow claims is the work of Ukrainian intelligence. Described as war crimes by a number of Western countries, the shelling continues despite significant losses sustained by the Russian army. Bombing focused particularly on residential areas and civilian infrastructure objectives, damaging 30% of the country’s energy infrastructure. In Brussels, over 50 countries promised to provide fresh military assistance to Ukraine, including air defense systems.
The number of Ukrainian refugees coming to Romania from Western Europe is on the rise, the International Organization for Migration reports. Lower living costs and proximity to Ukraine are some of the reasons, the report also states. According to the Romanian Border Police, some 70,000 people entered Romania on Wednesday, of whom 9,000 were Ukrainian nationals, accounting for a 15% increase compared to the previous day. Starting February 10, over 2.5 million Ukrainians have entered Romania.
Dubravka Šuica, EU vice-president for Democracy and Demography, is paying a three-day official visit to Romania. Today, the European official will hold talks with Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă on follow-up to the Conference on the Future of Europe, the Summit for Democracy, skills and labor force mobility, demographic changes, children’s rights and gender equality. According to a press release published by the European Commission’s Office in Bucharest, Dubravka Šuica will also meet Daniela Gîtman, Secretary of State within the Romanian Foreign Ministry, Gabriela Firea, Minister of Family, Youth and Gender Equality, Nicușor Dan, Bucharest Mayor General, as well as members of the mixed Parliament committees for European affairs. The EU official will also visit the Ominis complex for integrated social services addressing vulnerable categories, including Ukrainian refugees.
Fourteen NATO members and partner states, including Romania, signed a joint letter for the purchase of Arrow 3 and Patriot air defense systems as part of a European Skyshield Initiative (ESSI) in a ceremony hosted by the NATO headquarters in Brussels, on the sidelines of the NATO Defense Ministers meeting. Germany’s Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, announced the project at the end of August, saying that a common European air defense system would be more effective if individual member states would build up their own air defenses, which would entail higher costs and more efforts to implement. According to a Defense Ministry release, today’s meeting is attended by Romania’s Defense Minister, Vasile Dîncu, and will focus on the decisions adopted at the NATO Summit in Madrid and the organization of the next summit. NATO officials will also tackle the Alliance’s nuclear deterrence posture and specific topics in the nuclear field in connection to the current security context, marked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
