April 26, 2026
A roundup of local and international news.
Newsroom, 26.04.2026, 13:28
Talks. President Nicuşor Dan will hold talks on Monday with the leaders of pro-European parties and groups in Bucharest, namely the Social Democratic Party, the National Liberal Party, the Save Romania Union, the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania and the parliamentary group of national minorities, on the implementation of the major programmes for Romania, SAFE and the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. The president has in recent days reiterated his intention to remain a mediator after the Social Democrats withdrew their support for Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan and resigned from government. Nicuşor Dan has signed their resignations and the proposals for interim ministers submitted by the Prime Minister.
Attack. Panic in Washington, where a serious security incident interrupted the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania were evacuated after multiple gunshots were heard. Hundreds of guests, including journalists and senior officials such as Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth, took shelter under tables as Secret Service agents secured the area. The suspect, Cole Thomas Allen, described by CNN as an individual with an exceptional academic background and no criminal record, opened fire at a checkpoint, wounding an agent. After being arrested, the man told the authorities that he intended to shoot Trump administration officials, CBS News reported, citing two sources. Cole Thomas Allen was detained and is to be charged Monday with multiple federal crimes.
Nuclear. Ukraine marks the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, amid persistent fears that Russia’s war started four year ago may trigger a repeat of the world’s worst nuclear accident. Millions of people were exposed to radiation and vast areas of land were contaminated after the Soviet plant’s Unit 4 reactor exploded in the early hours of April 26, 1986. Thousands died later from radiation-related illnesses, but the exact toll and long-term health effects remain difficult to assess. A major international effort led to the installation in 2016 of a giant steel and concrete cover of the original sarcophagus, hastily built to contain the tonnes of radioactive waste. Kyiv says that during the current conflict, Moscow has repeatedly sent missiles and drones close to the plant to attack Ukrainian cities and allegedly damaged a protective shield in one of those attacks last year. No leaks have been detected, but the cover needs at least 500 million euros worth of repair work to prevent permanent damage, according to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
Drone. President Nicuşor Dan and Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan have firmly condemned Russia’s irresponsible behaviour, after a drone used in the attacks on Ukraine recently fell in south-eastern Romania. The fresh violation of Romanian airspace by Russia is an irresponsible act and a serious violation of international law, said the two officials, as well as the Minister of Defence, Radu Miruţă, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Oana Ţoiu, who after the incident summoned the Russian ambassador to Bucharest. The Romanian president said in a statement that this is the first incident in which Romanian property was effectively damaged, a threshold that, he says, we view with utmost concern. Romania is not a party to the conflict but it bears its consequences, generating challenges and vulnerabilities that must be treated most seriously, Nicuşor Dan also said. As a NATO and EU member state, Romania actively participates in efforts to strengthen common security and this incident highlights the need to speed up the army’s equipment and modernisation programmes, for which the SAFE acquisition plan is essential, the president emphasised. Following the incident, the Defence General Staff is considering reorganising its monitoring devices on the border with Ukraine.
Letter. Romanian MEP Victor Negrescu has sent an official request to the EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, calling for strengthening European mechanisms for monitoring and rapid response to airspace violations. He said the Russian drone that violated Romanian airspace on Friday night and fell on Romanian territory in a populated area in the city of Galaţi (southeast), once again raises questions regarding the level of protection and the capacity to react to such threats at European level. This incident is not an isolated one, said Victor Negrescu, but “part of a dangerous pattern of escalation in the vicinity of the European Union’s and NATO’s borders”, adding “Romania is at the frontline of the Union and directly bears the consequences of the conflict in its vicinity. The protection of European citizens cannot be fragmented; it must be supported by a common, coordinated and credible effort,” the Romanian MEP said. (CM)
