February 24, 2023 UPDATE

A roundup of domestic and international news

Newsroom, 24.02.2023, 20:00

Ukraine. Ukraine will do everything in its power to win, says president Volodymyr Zelensky, one year after the beginning of the Russian invasion. We endured and did not let ourselves be defeated, reads the Kyiv leaders message, released to the public on Friday. He declares himself convinced that 2023 will be the year of victory and thanks all Ukrainians for their courage. For their part, the leaders of NATO and the European Union say that they will continue to support Ukraine from a political, economic and military point of view, for it to regain its territorial integrity, in accordance with the principles of international law. They condemn Russia not only for its attack on Ukraine, but also for its irresponsible nuclear threats and its use of food and energy as weapons in the hybrid warfare. NATO officials are calling on Russia to immediately stop the war and withdraw from the occupied territories, in accordance with the resolution adopted by the United Nations on Thursday. Reuters notes that the war in Ukraine has become one of attrition, and both sides are suffering increasing losses. Russia is controlling around a fifth of Ukrainian territory

Support. President Klaus Iohannis sent a message on Friday, one year after the start of Russias war against Ukraine, in which he states that Romania will continue to support Ukraine and the Ukrainian people for as long as necessary. “This battle must be won by Ukraine, and Russia must be held accountable for the crimes committed and the lives destroyed. Dear Ukrainian people, you are not alone! You have a reliable friend in Romania, who is supporting you in this unjust battle! It is our responsibility, of us all, to contribute to the victory and build a better future, in peace! Romania stands and will continue to stand by Ukraine!”, said the Romanian president in his video message. He also thanked the Romanian people for their solidarity with and empathy for their Ukrainian neighbours. Prime minister Nicolae Ciucă said the Romanian people, who are strongly attached to the values of the European Union and the North Atlantic Alliance, will continue to support the objective of peace and freedom in Ukraine, a country that has become the outpost of the fight to defend the democratic world. In another move, the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Marcel Ciolacu, visited the 57th Air Base Mihail Kogălniceanu in the south-east of Romania on Friday. “Romanians, Americans, Italians and French train together, carry out missions together, eat together and share each others culture, like a big family. An unshakable wall that protects Romania and the entire Eastern Flank of NATO. We will never accept the invasion of a sovereign state”, Ciolacu later wrote on Facebook.

Resolution. Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu said on Thursday at a special meeting of the UN General Assembly in New York that Bucharest wants peace for Ukraine but that at the moment the hostilities are at an alarming level, with no signs of diminishing, with unimaginable suffering for the civilian population and drastic and long-term consequences. According to a statement from the Romanian foreign office, minister Bogdan Aurescu also said the hybrid warfare conducted by Moscow and further intensified by fake news, disinformation and malign influences seeks not only to destabilize the region and the most vulnerable states, but also to undermine their unity, mutual trust and solidarity. Minister Aurescu recalled that Romania supports the creation of a special tribunal to prosecute the crime of aggression against Ukraine. He welcomed the adoption, by overwhelming majority, of a resolution entitled “Principles of the Charter of the United Nations underlying a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine” in which the UN General Assembly condemns Russia for its invasion of Ukraine and calls for the cessation of hostilities and the withdrawal of troops.

Cooperation. Romanian Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă expressed his appreciation for the excellent cooperation between Romania and the European Commission within the European Civil Protection Mechanism, during a meeting he had on Friday with Janez Lenarcic, the European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management , on a working visit to Bucharest. During the discussions, the excellent cooperation in the management of Ukrainian refugees and humanitarian aid to the neighboring country was appreciated, and the need to develop disaster resilience and civil protection capabilities both at the EU level and in the neighboring states was stressed. The European Commissioner participated in Bucharest in the ministerial round table with the theme Understanding and communicating existing and future risks: Ensuring evidence-based communication and preventing mis- and disinformation, organized by the Department for Emergency Situations.

Concert. To mark one year since Russias war in Ukraine, violinist Alexandru Tomescu, cellist Răzvan Suma and pianist Sînziana Mircea together with Radio Romanias orchestras and music choirs will give a special performance on Saturday at Radio Romanias Concert Hall entitled “Life in a Suitcase”. Ukrainian-born flutist Mariia Velia, a second-year student at the University of Music in Bucharest, is also invited to perform. Organised by Radio Romanias culture channel, the concert aims to highlight the drama of the millions of people who were forced to leave their country, taking with them nothing but a suitcase. Also in connection with the first anniversary of the war in Ukraine, the foyer of Radio Romanias Concert Hall on Thursday hosted the opening of an exhibition of photographs by Ilie Pintea, the special correspondent in Ukraine of Radio Romanias news and current affairs channel. Entitled “Ukraine – faces of war”, the exhibition stays open until the end of March. (MI)