March 16, 2022 UPDATE

Chisinau. Romanian President Klaus Iohannis and Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca were received on Wednesday afternoon in Chisinau by the President and Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova Maia Sandu and Natalia Gavriliţa respectively.  Iohannis stressed that Romania stood by the side of the Republic of Moldova as always, and appreciated the efforts made by the country in the context of the war in Ukraine. "You can count on us. And, besides Romania, all the European and Euro-Atlantic states are in solidarity with you", the Romanian head of state also said. In turn, the President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, stated that her country needed the support of its partners to overcome the challenges caused by the war. "What is happening in Ukraine is terrible. The military actions have destabilized the entire region, and the challenges caused by this war are also putting pressure on the Republic of Moldova", Maia Sandu underlined. She said that 340,000 people had crossed the border between Moldova and Ukraine since the start of the war, leaving 100,000 refugees in Moldova. We recall that, on March 3, Maia Sandu signed the application for the accession of the Republic of Moldova to the European Union. Romania has announced it will fully support Moldova's European aspirations. As regards the refugees situation in Romania, more than 15 thousand Ukrainians crossed Romania's borders on Tuesday, in 24 hours, according to the Romanian border police. Since the start of the crisis, until March 15th, some 440 thousand Ukrainians entered Romania. 

Ukraine. The International Court of Justice in The Hague, the UN's highest court, on Wednesday ordered Russia to immediately cease its military operations in Ukraine. The court had been notified by Kyiv, but Moscow boycotted the hearings and rejected the ICJ's jurisdiction over the case. Although the Court's verdicts are binding, the international court has no executive powers to effectively enforce its rulings. Also on Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the US Congress via video call, again calling for support for the security of his country's airspace, for humanitarian purposes. He pointed out that Ukraine still needed defensive weapons and aircraft to cope with the Russian invasion. Zelensky showed the Congress footage of the atrocities his people were going through and called for more support. "Today the Ukrainian people are defending not only Ukraine. We are fighting for the values of Europe and the world, sacrificing our lives in the name of the future" the Ukrainian leader said. US President Joe Biden confirmed on Wednesday that an additional 800 million dollar worth of military aid would be sent to Ukraine, including drones and anti-missile systems. On Tuesday, the US Senate unanimously passed a resolution condemning Russian President Vladimir Putin as a war criminal. Putin said on Wednesday that the military operation in Ukraine was a "success" and that Moscow would not let the country become a "bridgehead" for "aggressive actions" against Russia.

NATO. Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has announced a further strengthening of the Alliance's eastern flank and has ruled out the deployment of ground or air troops in Ukraine. He spoke at the meeting of the defense ministers of the member countries, which was also attended by the Romanian Defense Minister Vasile Dîncu. They decided to change NATO's long term posture in the context of Russia's war in Ukraine. Stoltenberg explained that the change was necessary since the whole security situation in Europe had changed and urged the Allies to invest at least 2% of the gross domestic product in defense. He warned that Russia's willingness to use force should not be underestimated.

Negotiations. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said that although negotiations with the Ukrainian side have been difficult, there is some hope for a compromise. He said he drew that conclusion based on the views of members of his country's delegation, as well as some of Ukraine's representatives in the talks, including advisers to President Volodymyr Zelensky. According to the Radio Romania correspondent in Moscow, regarding the condition of demilitarization, Russia - Lavrov said - is ready to agree with Ukraine on the types of weapons that do not pose a threat to Moscow. On Wednesday, the head of the Russian delegation to the negotiations with Ukraine, Vladimir Medinsky, said that the talks were difficult, but Russia wanted to reach peace as soon as possible and conclude an agreement that would last for generations. Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia's position sounded more realistic, but added that it would take time for the decisions to benefit Ukraine.

Meetings. Romanian president Klaus Iohannis will meet, on Thursday, in Bucharest, with his Estonian counterpart, Alar Karis. Also on Thursday, the Romanian head of state will receive the Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. There will be official and one-on-one talks, Romanian-Estonian and Romanian-Spanish, followed by press statements.(MI)