February 24, 2026
A roundup of local and world news
Newsroom, 24.02.2026, 13:55
UKRAINE The presidents of the European Council and the European Commission, António Costa and Ursula von der Leyen, are in Kyiv to show support for Ukraine and to attend events marking 4 years since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Meanwhile, the United Kingdom announced today a new assistance package for Ukraine, which includes a training programme for Ukrainian helicopter pilots, funding to repair energy infrastructure bombed by the Russians, and to support the resilience of civilians and efforts to hold accountable the Russians guilty of war crimes. Also today, the “Coalition of the Willing” for Ukraine convenes in a video call at the request of the two co-chairs, the French president Emmanuel Macron and the British PM Keir Starmer. This meeting, which is also attended by the president of Romania Nicușor Dan, follows up the one in Paris on January 6 and aims to reaffirm the commitment of the 35 participating countries to stand by Ukraine and to help it pave the way for a strong and sustainable peace, which would guarantee both its own security and that of Europe. The war resulted in almost 2 million casualties, including 1,200,000 Russian soldiers and approximately 600,000 Ukrainian soldiers and civilians, according to an estimate by a well-known American think tank. Several million Ukrainian civilians were forced to leave their country.
PARLIAMENT The Romanian Parliament building will be illuminated this evening in the colours of the Ukrainian flag to mark 4 years of Russian aggression against Ukraine. The institution thus joins other states that will commemorate the victims of the war through a joint show of solidarity, the Chamber of Deputies announced. Romanian Deputies also observed a moment of silence in memory of the Ukrainian civilians killed in the conflict. Several civic organisations organised public events in various cities in Romania, while in Constanța (southeast) Ukrainian refugees commemorated the victims of the war, reaffirming their faith in justice and a future lived in peace and thanking Romania for the humanitarian and military support it provided.
EU A General Affairs Council (GAC) meeting takes place in Brussels today. The participating ministers and state secretaries for European affairs are to exchange views on the agenda of the upcoming European Council meeting on March 19-20, 2026, with a focus on Ukraine, competitiveness and defence, the Multiannual Financial Framework 2028-2034 and the Middle East. The GAC agenda also includes a round table on the European Centre for Democratic Resilience, established within the framework of the European Democracy Shield, an initiative launched in November 2025 by the European Commission. Romania is represented by the foreign minister Oana Ţoiu.
ECONOMY The public administration reform and the economic recovery measures could be passed by the government today, after the ruling coalition reached a unanimous agreement on the documents yesterday. Both sets of measures will be passed under a single emergency order. The legislation aims to modernise the state, stimulate the economy and comply with the commitments undertaken at EU level. The leaders of the four coalition parties (the Social Democratic Party, the National Liberal Party, Save Romania Union, and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania) also agreed to introduce fiscal measures such as a 25% cut in property taxes on buildings older than 100 years and a 15% discount for those between 50 and 100 years old. Also, people with severe disabilities will benefit from property tax cuts, and the finance ministry will develop a correction mechanism for those who have already paid taxes at the original values. A new coalition meeting is due tomorrow, when the long-delayed 2026 state budget bill will be discussed.
JUDICIARY The candidates for the position of chief prosecutor of the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) in Romania are interviewed today by a Justice Ministry committee. The candidates are Ioan-Viorel Cerbu, a prosecutor with the DNA and currently serving as deputy chief prosecutor; Vlad Grigorescu, a prosecutor with the Directorate Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism Offences, and Tatiana Toader, a deputy chief prosecutor with the DNA. The DNA chief prosecutor post will be vacant as of March 31. The two candidates for the position of Chief Prosecutor of the General Prosecutor’s Office, Cristina Chiriac and Bogdan Pârlog, were interviewed at the justice ministry on Monday. Marius Voineag, the current head of the DNA, who is running for deputy prosecutor general, was also interviewed on Monday. (AMP)
