October 21, 2026 UPDATE

A roundup of local and world news

Newsroom, 21.10.2026, 20:00

UKRAINE The president of Romania Nicușor Dan Wednesday told the US television network Newsmax that economic sanctions against Russia must continue, as Moscow is not prepared to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine, the media outlet reported on its website. Nicușor Dan welcomed the diplomatic efforts of the U.S. president Donald Trump to bring an end to the war in Ukraine, but expressed skepticism regarding Russian president Vladimir Putin’s willingness to negotiate a peace agreement. „It is very good that the US is getting involved in the attempt to bring peace to the war in Ukraine, as this affects the region’s economy and the global economy,” he said. The Romanian official’s comments come as the U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff has met with Vladimir Putin, following talks earlier in the week with the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

SECURITY Romania’s President Nicușor Dan has convened a meeting of the Supreme Defence Council for Thursday. According to the Presidency, the meeting will focus primarily on analysing the security implications of incidents in the Black Sea and assessing measures to strengthen response capabilities aimed at protecting Romania’s territorial waters and critical maritime infrastructure. In this context, a NATO aircraft from the US joined patrols over the Black Sea, following a request for additional support from Romania and Bulgaria in light of recent drone attacks on commercial vessels. According to Radio Romania, NATO sources indicate that several Allies have responded to the two nations’ call, including France, the US, the UK, Slovakia, the Netherlands, Portugal, Belgium, and Spain. Colonel Martin O’Donnell, spokesperson for the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), said that in addition to the aircraft already operating over the Black Sea, contributions include sea patrol aircraft, radar systems, drones, and explosives analysis teams. On Tuesday, at Romania’s request, the North Atlantic Council met in Brussels, where allies discussed the additional equipment and personnel to be deployed to the Black Sea region. Furthermore, in a social media post, the Romanian president announced that Romania had sent a direct message requesting stronger support, through additional counter-drone capabilities, surveillance and reconnaissance assets, and specialized expertise, as well as an adapted and strengthened NATO posture in the region.

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GOVERNMENT Romania’s new PM Luca Niculescu had a telephone conversation on Wednesday with his counterpart from neighboring, Romanian-speaking Republic of Moldova, Vasile Tofan. The two officials agreed that Niculescu’s first official visit would be to Chișinău, so as to revitalise bilateral projects and identify new opportunities for cooperation. Luca Niculescu also assured Vasile Tofan of the Romanian government’s full support for Moldova’s EU accession. Meanwhile, the head of the Romanian government, who was sworn into office on Tuesday, attended the official handover ceremonies for his ministers in charge with European projects, foreign affairs, education, defence, and culture. Romania’s new government consists of 17 ministries, 11 of which are headed by ministers from the Social Democratic Party (PSD), the country’s largest political force, while the remaining six are led by independents. The heated disputes between the PSD and their former ruling partners, the National Liberal Party (PNL), indicate that the new PM will have to govern with the support of a minority in Parliament. Luca Niculescu has promised to revive the economy and create new jobs.

DEFICIT Romania, which has been subject to an excessive deficit procedure since 2020, recorded the highest deficit in the EU last year as well, at 7.8% of GDP, according to data released on Wednesday by the EU’s statistical office. Next come Poland (7.2%), Belgium (5.2%), and France (5.1%). According to Eurostat, 11 EU member states had deficits equal to or greater than 3% last year. Also, Romania’s government debt-to-GDP ratio rose to nearly 60% in 2025, up from approximately 55% in 2024 and about 50% in 2023.

EPP The Romanian MEP Siegfried Mureşan (PNL) was re-elected on Tuesday evening as vice-chair of the European People’s Party group, the largest and most influential group in the European Parliament. ‘I would like to thank my colleagues who have, for the fourth time in a row, given me their vote and their trust,’ Mureşan posted on social media. He added that the result is important not only for himself, but also for Romania, which will continue to have a strong voice at the table where the EPP sets its priorities and positions. ‘I have been vice-chair of the group for seven years and, throughout this time, I have used this position to defend Romania’s interests,’ said Siegfried Mureşan, who promised that, during his new term, he would continue to put Bucharest’s priorities on the agenda of the largest political group in the European Parliament, while also taking into account, in equal measure, the priorities of the other Member States. (AMP)