March 17, 2022

A roundup of domestic and international news

Newsroom, 17.03.2022, 13:55

WAR IN UKRAINE – In the absence of any
sign the Russian forces are willing to break the siege on Mariupol, a city on
the Azov Sea, efforts continue to evacuate the civilian population via
humanitarian corridors. 30,000 inhabitants have so far left the city, including
300 people Moscow claims to have crossed into Russia by bus. On Wednesday, a
theatre in Mariupol sheltering hundreds of civilians was hit by shelling.
According to Human Rights Watch, at least five hundred civilians had taken
refuge within the theatre walls. Satellite footage shows the word children
written in Russian on the walls of the theatre. The number of victims left in
the wake of the attack is unknown, considering that rescue teams have so far
been unable to intervene due to uninterrupted bombing. The United Kingdom, the
United States of America, Albania, France, Norway and Ireland have called an
emergency meeting of the UN Security Council as the humanitarian situation in
this country continues to deteriorate, AFP reports. In turn, Russia has called
for a one-day postponement of the vote on its humanitarian resolution
regarding Ukraine. The request comes as Russia’s proposition failed to rally
support from China and India, Moscow’s traditional allies in the Security
Council. The Kremlin today rejected the ruling of the International Court of
Justice, the highest judicial body of the UN, ordering Russia to immediately
stop all military operations in Ukraine. The Kremlin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov,
said consent must be obtained from both sides for the ruling to be valid.

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.

REFUGEES – The UN High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has announced that over 3 million people have
left Ukraine since the start of the war, of whom 450 thousand have reached
Romania. This is the biggest war-caused migration in Europe since WWII. Adding
to the number of refugees who left Ukraine are people who are displaced within
the country’s borders. The humanitarian crisis has been worsened by continuous
bombing targeting civilian objectives. According to the Romanian Border Police,
over 15,200 Ukrainian citizens entered Romania within the space of 24 hours, up
by 0.4% compared to yesterday. Right now, the border checkpoints are working at
full capacity, with the observance of national and community regulations.

TALKS – Romania’s president,
Klaus Iohannis, is today receiving his Estonian counterpart, Alar Kari in
Bucharest. Also today, Spain’s Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, will also hold
talks with the Romanian president and with his Romanian counterpart, Nicolae
Ciucă. The agenda for talks includes the energy reform of the
EU, in the context of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Pedro Sánchez will call on Romania
to support Spain’s energy reform of the European Union. One proposition is to
eliminate natural gas from the method of calculating the price for electricity.
The second point in Spain’s proposal is to give every state the possibility of
introducing a cap on electricity prices for end users over a definite period of
time and based on sound arguments. This week, Spain’s Prime Minister is touring
Europe, meeting with 8 counterparts from member states, to discuss energy
prices.

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.

TENNIS – Romanian tennis player
Simona Halep, world no. 24, has advanced to the semi-finals of the WTA 1000
tournament in Indian Wells, totalling some 8.5 million USD in prize money. In
the quarterfinals, Halep ousted Petra Martic of Croatia. In the semi-finals,
Halep will take on Iga Świątekof Poland, the competition’s third seed. The Polish player ousted Madison Keys
of the United States in the previous round. Halep leads 2-1 head-to-head. (VP)