February 24, 2022

A roundup of domestic and international news

Newsroom, 24.02.2022, 13:55

WAR IN UKRAINE – In the early hours of Thursday
morning, the Russian army launched a tactical strike against Ukraine, targeting
military objectives, the Russian Defense Ministry announced, claiming military
infrastructure, air defense installations and airfields of the Ukrainian Air
Force have been already taken out of commission. According to international
news agencies, explosions were reported close to the capital Kyiv, in Kharkiv
in the east, Mariupol in the south and Odessa, the biggest port on the Black
Sea. Russian president, Vladimir Putin, said the attack was required to protect
the civilian population in the Russian-speaking and rebel-controlled Donbas,
again accusing the West for not complying with its security demands.
Previously, Russia demanded Ukraine should abandon its NATO accession bid and
called on the Alliance to withdraw from countries that joined NATO after 1997.
President Putin claims the military operation is an act of self-defense, aimed
at demilitarizing and denazifying Ukraine. Putin called on Ukrainian troops to
lay down their weapons and go home, warning at the same time that any country
attempting to interfere will face unprecedented consequences. Ukrainian authorities
say the attack came from Belarus, Russia and occupied Crimea. President
Volodymyr Zelensky declared martial law across the country, calling on the
population to stay calm, assuring them Ukraine will prevail. At the same time,
Ukraine has called on its international partners to immediately introduce new
sanctions against Russia. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has called on partner
states to provide weapons and military equipment to boost Kyiv’s defense
capabilities. Western powers have condemned Russia’s attack. In Brussels,
European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen and European Parliament
president, Charles Michel, pledged to hold Moscow accountable. EU leaders will
take part in a flash summit this afternoon to discuss the EU’s response to
Russia’s attack.

ROMANIA AND UKRAINE – Romania’s president, Klaus Iohannis, at the end of Thursday’s meeting
of the Supreme Defense Council, firmly condemned Russia’s unjustified attack on
neighboring Ukraine. The president said diplomacy is the only solution to the
current crisis, adding that Romania will not be dragged into the military
conflict in Ukraine. The president also gave assurances that Romanians should
not fear for the safety of themselves or their families, considering Romania’s
status as a NATO member state represents a robust security umbrella.
Previously, the government and the entire political class in Bucharest
condemned Russia’s attack. Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă set up a task force at
government level that will oversee the developments in Ukraine. The Government announced
it is monitoring the flow of natural gas in Romania, in order to take the
appropriate measures. Government structures are also prepared to receive waves
of immigrants. Also in Bucharest, Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu has called on
the Romanian mission to NATO to request the activation of Article 4 in the NATO
Treaty, allowing allies to discuss collective defense.

SIIJ – In Bucharest, the Senate’s judicial committee is debating the bill on
disbanding the Section Investigating Crime in Justice, initiated by the
Government and approved at the end of last week in the Chamber of Deputies. The
attributions of the Section will be transferred to regular prosecutor’s
offices, and the cases will be handled by special prosecutors. Disbanding the
Section is an objective specified in the government programme, also required to
lift the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism. The draft law will be
submitted to a vote on Monday in the Senate, the decision-making body in this
matter.

ENERGY – The new assistance package aimed at subsidizing energy bills is today
debated in Bucharest in a joint ministry committee. Attending will also be
representatives of energy distributors, employers’ associations and trade
unions. Prime Minister Nicolae
Ciucă said the measures that will apply starting April 1, when the current
government scheme is due to expire, will also include a mechanism that will
provide long-term support to the population and the economy. The list of
solutions also includes increasing the cap on subsidized consumption or
introducing a 5% cap on profit across the energy production chain.

COVID-19 – The 5th wave of the pandemic is slowing down in
Romania, and the Government will adjust restrictions, the authorities in
Bucharest have announced. According to Thursday’s report issued by the Group
for Strategic Communication, 10,749 new COVID-19 infections have been reported
within the space of 24 hours, in addition to 115 related deaths, of which 10
were prior to the reference period. 1,002 people are currently in intensive
care. (VP)