WAR IN UKRAINE
\n– Russia is pressing the attack in Ukrainian oblasts and intensifying its
\nprovocative actions in the borderlands, thus trying to offset a series of
\nmilitary failures, Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky said in his
\ntraditional address to the nation on Tuesday evening. In turn, Defense Minister
\nOleksy Reznikov said the war against Moscow is entering an extended stage,
\nwhereby the Russian Federation is trying to gain full control over Donbas and
\noccupy the south of Ukraine. The Ukrainian Minister called on Ukraine’s Western
\nallies to coordinate their deliveries of weapons to Kyiv. Today, the
\nProsecutor’s Office is bringing to court the first Russian soldier accused of
\nhaving shot an unarmed civilian. This is the first war crimes trial in Ukraine,
\nalthough many others are expected to follow, and will mark a test for the
\nUkrainian judiciary, at a time when international institutions are starting
\ntheir own investigations into the war crimes committed by Russian troops in
\nthis country, AFP reports. <\/p>\n
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ICJ -
\nRomanian has decided to intervene in Ukraine’s favor at the UN International
\nCourt of Justice in the legal action launched against the Russian Federation,
\nthe Romanian Foreign Ministry announced today. On February 26, 2022, Ukraine
\nfiled a suit against the Russian Federation at the ICJ, regarding the interpretation,
\nenforcement and compliance with the obligations stipulated in the 1948 Genocide
\nConvention. According to the MFA, Ukraine claimed the Russian Federation has
\nfalsely reported genocide in the Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts in order to
\njustify the recognition of the self-proclaimed People’s Republics of Donetsk
\nand Luhansk, as well as to carry out a special military operation against
\nUkraine. Based on these false allegations, the Russian Federation is to date
\nengaged in a military invasion of Ukraine, with serious and large-scale effects
\non human rights and humanitarian international law, the Romanian MFA also
\nwrites. <\/p>\n
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NATO -
\nFinland and Sweden have today submitted their formal applications to join NATO.
\nTomorrow, Sweden’s Prime Minister, Magdalena Andresson and Finland’s president,
\nSauli Niinisto will travel to Washington to meet US president Joe Biden. Amidst
\nRussia’s continuous threats regarding reprisals in the event of the two countries’
\nNATO accession, the main obstacle seems to come from within NATO itself.
\nTurkey, whose vote is essential to officially admit Sweden and Finland into
\nNATO, has so far opposed this scenario, blaming the two countries for refusing
\nits requests to extradite persons whom Turkey believes to be members of terrorist
\norganizations, such as the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), as well as for
\nsuspending weapons exports to Turkey. Analysts believe Turkey is trying to gain
\nleverage for voting in favor of the two countries’ NATO accession, such as
\nlifting the USA’s refusal to sell F-35 fighter jets to Ankara. <\/p>\n
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OFFSHORE LAW -
\nThe Chamber of Deputies in Bucharest has today adopted the draft law amending
\nthe Offshore Law. With 248 votes in favor and 34 votes against, the new law
\nwill allow the exploitation of natural gas deposits in the Black Sea. Whereas
\nthe ruling coalition made up of PSD, PNL and UDMR supported the new law,
\narguing it safeguards Romania’s energy security, AUR, a nationalist opposition
\nparty, criticized the law, claiming it provides benefits without any sanctions
\nfor investors. Energy Minister Virgil Popescu says the exploitation works in
\nthe Black Sea will produce more natural gas than Romania will be able to
\nconsume, saying that the additional revenues obtained as a result must be
\ndirected towards investments. Representatives of the Oil and Gas Federation
\nsaid the new offshore law has been substantially improved and is based on
\nstability, predictability, competitive taxation and the free market. <\/p>\n
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MINIMUM WAGE
\n– The Government is today expected to pass an emergency decree allowing
\nemployers to operate a tax-free increase in the minimum wage. The measure will
\ntake effect starting June 1 and is part of the Support for Romania package,
\ndesigned to combat the negative effects of the price hikes. Workers with
\nfull-time individual employment agreements are eligible for the wage increase,
\nas well as people who are hired over June 1 – December 31, 2022. Basically,
\nemployees can opt to increase the minimum wage from 510 to 550 Euro. <\/p>\n
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MILITARY COMMITTEES – The
\nRomanian Chief of General Staff, General Daniel Petrescu is attending the
\nmeeting of the European Union Military Committee and the NATO Military
\nCommittee, both held in Brussels until May 19. The agenda of today’s EUMC meeting
\nincludes the implementation of the Strategic Compass, the document regulating
\nthe EU’s defense and security framework until 2025, the effects of the war in
\nUkraine as well as the EU’s top priorities in the field of defense and
\nsecurity. The NATO meeting scheduled for tomorrow will discuss the geostrategic
\ncontext and preparations for the NATO Summit in Madrid. NATO Defense Ministers
\nwill also look the developments in Ukraine, the implementation of the
\nDeterrence and Defense Concept in the Euro-Atlantic area and NATO’s long-term
\nposture. NATO Defense Ministers will also discuss NATO’s warfare concept, the
\nRomanian Defense Ministry reports. (VP)<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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