October 24, 2022

A roundup of domestic and international news

Newsroom, 24.10.2022, 13:55

NATO – Two convoys transporting
military equipment from France arrived in Romania on Sunday. The first convoy
includes light infantry vehicles, while the second one transported heavy
infantry armored vehicles, the Romanian Defense Ministry announced. The
equipment adds to the military technology used by the NATO battlegroup in
Romania led by France and located in Cincu, central Romania. The battlegroup
was created in May by pooling in NATO Response Force troops already deployed to
Romania. On the other hand, Spain announced it would send F-18 and Eurofighter
jets to Romania and Bulgaria, to contribute to consolidating the NATO eastern
flank in the context of the war in Ukraine.

DEFENSE
– The Supreme Defense Council will convene on Tuesday in Bucharest. According
to the Presidency, the agenda will focus on the regional security context, the
Russian invasion of Ukraine and consequences for Romania, as well as on improving
the country’s energy resilience. Council members will also be given an update
on measures taken to modernize the army.

PARLIAMENT
– Defense Minister Vasile Dîncu on
Monday resigned, claiming it was impossible to work with president Klaus
Iohannis. Also on Monday, Minister Dîncu was expected to appear before
the Chamber of Deputies to explain his statements over the resolution of the
Ukrainian conflict. In a TV show, the Defense Minister said that negotiations
with Russia are the only way to ensure peace in Ukraine. President Iohannis
subsequently told Dîncu that Ukrainians
are paying a blood price in this war and we must all come to terms with the
idea that only Ukraine can decide when, how and what it is negotiating. This is
our official position and the official viewpoint of the European Union, the
president went on to say.

WAR IN
UKRAINE – Russia has launched missile and drone strikes on Mykolaiv, a city
located some 35 km northwest of the frontline in Kherson, currently under
Ukrainian control, destroying an apartment building. The Kremlin previously
warned of uncontrolled escalation in the Ukrainian conflict. The strike
occurred just as Russia had ordered 60,000 people to evacuate the area to save
their lives from the Ukrainian counteroffensive. The Russian Defense Minister,
Sergey Shoigu, said the situation in Ukraine is rapidly deteriorating as part
of telephone calls he had on Sunday with counterparts from Great Britain,
France and Turkey. Minister Shoigu also spoke to the US Secretary of Defense,
Lloyd Austin, for the second time in three days. According to the Pentagon,
Secretary Austin said Shoigu rejected any pretext for Russian escalation in
Ukraine.

REFUGEES
– The Border Police Inspectorate announced some 90 thousand people entered
Romania on Sunday, of whom some 8,000 were Ukrainian nationals, representing a
16% drop compared to the previous day. Starting February 10, 2022, some 2.6
million Ukrainians have entered Romania, most of whom were en route to Western
Europe. According to the Interior Ministry, over 4,300 Ukrainians filed for and
were granted asylum in Romania, thus benefiting from every right under Romanian
now. Another 80,000 Ukrainians have obtained stay permits, which grant them
temporary forms of protection.

UN – The
Romanian Foreign Ministry expressed regret over the decision of the Gabonese
Presidency of the UN Security Council to deny the representatives of Romania
and Lithuania the right to speak in Friday’s session devoted to humanitarian
issues in Ukraine. According to a press release issued by the Romanian MFA, the
decision is all the more regrettable as Romania’s permanent mission to the UN
had been previously notified it has been included on the list of speakers.
Romanian diplomats wanted to tell Council members about Romania’s efforts in
providing assistance to some 2.6 million Ukrainian refugees that have entered
Romania since the start of the war and our country’s contribution to helping
export grain from Ukraine in an attempt to facilitate access to food and
offsetting the global food crisis caused by Russia. Romania’s intervention was
subsequently submitted in writing as an official document pertaining to this
session.

UK -
Former British Finance Minister, Rishi Sunak, is likely to be designated the
new Prime Minister of Great Britain today. Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson
announced on Sunday he has withdrawn his candidacy for the leadership of the
Conservative Party, while the other candidate, Penny Mordant, is far from
securing the necessary number of votes allowing him to stay in the race.
Freshly returned from a holiday, Borish Johnson explained he decided to give up
his bid for Downing Street as he was unable to obtain the support of all
Conservatives in Parliament in order to rule efficienty. Meanwhile, thousands
of people protested on Sunday in London, calling for the EU reaccession of the
UK. The current political stalemate was triggered after the Brexit referendum.
Protesters claim Great Britain rejoining the community bloc would also solve
the current energy crisis.

PILGRIMAGE
– Bucharest is hosting the traditional Christian-Orthodox pilgrimage devoted to
Saint Demetrius the New, patron saint of Bucharest, whose feast day is celebrated
on October 27. Hosted by the Patriarchal Cathedral in Bucharest, the pilgrimage
will end on Friday, October 28.

TENNIS -
Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, who received a temporary suspension after
testing positive at a US Open doping test, dropped one place in WTA standings
compared to the previous week and is now ranked 10th. Another four
Romanian players are ranked in WTA Top 100 – Irina-Camelia Begu (33), Sorana
Cîrstea (38), Ana Bogdan (48) and Elena-Gabriela Ruse (96), the latter having
climbed nine spots. Jaqueline Cristian dropped 61 places and is currently
ranked 143. In the WTA doubles standings, Monica Niculescu is ranked 48, Irina
Bara 85 and Elena-Gabriela Ruse 91. (VP)