February 13, 2022

UKRAINE In the context of the Russian-Ukrainian standoff, the Romanian foreign ministry has raised the alert level for Ukraine and advises Romanian citizens to avoid travelling to that country. The foreign ministry firmly recommends avoiding travels to Crimea, to the Donetsk and Luhansk regions and to Ukraine's borders with Russia and Belarus. Romanian nationals currently in Ukraine are urged to notify their presence to Romania's embassy or consular offices and to reconsider staying in that country. The foreign ministry also calls on Romanian citizens, including journalists, to avoid big crowds, to stay up to date with information from reliable sources and to adjust their plans to the security situation there. A growing number of countries, including the US, Britain and Germany, are urging their citizens to leave Ukraine, as Western powers warn that a Russian invasion may be imminent. Moscow has massed around 100,000 troops and military equipment along the Ukrainian border and started military exercises at the Black Sea and in Belarus, but denies any aggressive plans. The US president Joe Biden has once again warned the Russian leader Vladimir Putin, over the telephone, of the prospective consequences of an invasion.

NATO Meanwhile, US Stryker armoured vehicles have reached the Mihail Kogălniceanu military base in southern Romania, where 1,000 US troops will also be relocated from Germany to strengthen NATO's eastern flank. With the arrival of Task Force Cougar, the number of American troops in Romania reaches nearly 2,000. France has also voiced willingness to deploy troops to Romania. A NATO member since 2004, Romania was already hosting 900 American, 250 Polish and 140 Italian troops. A unit of the US Air Forces in Europe (USAFE), comprising around 150 troops and 8 F-16 Fighting Falcons, are conducting joint training missions with Romanian troops and aircraft for 2 weeks. A senior Pentagon official also announced the US decided to send an additional 3,000 troops to Poland as well.

COVID-19 The number of new COVID-19 cases continues to drop in Romania, with nearly 12,000 new cases reported on Sunday and 81 related deaths. Over 1,140 patients are currently in intensive care. The largest number of infections since the start of the pandemic, 40,018, was reported on February 1. The health minister Alexandru Rafila said the number of new reported cases remains high, although it is falling quickly, and once again pleaded for vaccination, especially among vulnerable categories. As for lifting the restrictions, the health minister did not specify a deadline, but stressed that relaxation will be as quick as the situation allows it. In turn, the head of the vaccination programme Valeriu Gheorghiţă said that in the future vaccination will be seasonal, just like for the flu, and the vaccine will be adjusted to the variant circulating at a particular time. He also said the vaccination rate in Romania stands at 50.5% of the adult population.

PANDEMIC This weekend restrictions were eased off in Italy, Spain and Iceland, while France and Germany are planning to do the same in the coming weeks. Norway lifted the last protection measures in the country in spite of a rise in the number of Omicron cases. However, the protests initiated by truck drivers in Canada 2 weeks ago, and spreading to several other countries on Saturday, are still going on. European drivers headed to major capital cities to protest the compulsory vaccine and digital certificate. Protests were organised in the Netherlands, Switzerland, Australia and New Zealand. (A.M.P.)