Russia has got the opposite effect

Romania has reiterated its support for the neighbouring Ukraine invaded by the Russian troops

Bogdan Matei, 22.09.2023, 13:50

Romania is the EU and NATO member with the
longest border with Ukraine and also a Black Sea riparian country, a region
affected by the present war, Romanian president Klaus Iohannis told the
students of the prestigious Columbia University where he was attending the
World Leaders Forum.

For this reason, Iohannis went on to say,
Romania’s prospect over the impact of the war in its strategic vicinity and at
global level is relevant. According to Iohannis, Russia expected a weak international
community and a Ukraine, which was supposed to comply with Kremlin’s demands. However,
through their threats and the subsequent use of force, the Russians have got
the opposite effect. According to Radio Romania special correspondent, president
Iohannis says that by invading Ukraine, Russia tries to bring back revisionism to
international relations as well as the spheres of influence in the global and
regional politics.

Moscow, he says, is using outdated concepts
such as the so-called right of the great powers in order to impose the foreign
policy directives on smaller states and is at the same time attacking
democratic values and the rule-based world order.

The Romanian president has also told the
students that Romania, as a strategic partner of the US and a NATO ally is now
at the highest security level in its recent history. We are now having a more
coherent approach focused on several domains concerning defence in the Eastern
Flank. We have resorted to concrete measures to step up cooperation with other
Black Sea allies, mainly with the United States of America – Iohannis went on to say.

However, Ukraine must win the war commenced
by Russian Federation and no peace can exist without the restoration of the
independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty of this country. All those
who committed atrocious crimes in Ukraine and against Ukraine must be brought before
court. And all the countries with the same outlook have agreed that we must carry
on our support for Ukraine – the Romanian president pointed out. Both Ukraine,
and the neighboring Republic of Moldova, an ex-soviet Romanian speaking
country, must receive complete support for their integration into the European
Union, Iohannis added. Earlier during the General Assembly of the UN the head
of the Romanian state said this war proved that the Black Sea needs more
attention at the global level, being of strategic importance for the
Transatlantic security. He pledged that Romania would continue to ease the shipments
of the Ukrainian grain to the world’s markets as they are essential for the
world food security.

(bill)