March 3, 2022 UPDATE

A roundup of domestic and international news

Newsroom, 03.03.2022, 20:21

Ukraine. Kiev says it wants to discuss with Moscow a ceasefire, a truce and the opening of humanitarian corridors, but will make no concessions on the country’s territorial integrity. Russian MFA spokesperson Maria Zakharova has stated that Moscow is open to talks with Ukraine to prevent further bloodshed. The Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin reaffirmed in talks with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron that Russia’s main goals are the demilitarization and neutrality of Ukraine. On the ground, Russian troops continued to bomb residential neighborhoods in big Ukrainian cities and stepped up efforts to occupy the capital, Kyiv. The UN confirmed on Thursday that 249 civilians had been killed and more than 550 injured in Ukraine in the first week of the conflict following. Ukrainian authorities have announced their own death toll, saying that at least 2000 civilians have been killed because of the Russian invasion. The International Criminal Court has announced the immediate start of an investigation into the situation in Ukraine, where war crimes have been allegedly committed, after receiving a green light from 39 states, including Romania. Ukraine has not signed the Rome Statute, the international treaty establishing the ICC, but has officially recognized the Court’s jurisdiction over crimes committed on its territory.

Aid. Romanian president Klaus Iohannis had talks in Bucharest on
Thursday with the European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen about
intensifying humanitarian support for neighboring Ukraine. The president said
efforts were under way to make a logistical hub operational in Romania as soon
as possible, to coordinate the collection and delivery of humanitarian aid to
Ukraine, with Romania also planning to access EU funds for the management of
the huge inflow of refugees. The Commission president said Romania was an
example for the entire world in the way it mobilized itself to help Ukrainian
refugees. Also on Thursday, the Romanian President received the UN High Commissioner
for Refugees, Filippo Grandi. The two officials discussed support for the
Ukrainian refugees, but also for the neighbouring Republic of Moldova, which is
faced with a huge inflow of refugees as well. Filippo Grandi hailed Romanian
authorities’ rapid response and the efforts made to properly manage the
exceptional situation triggered by the Ukrainian citizens seeking refuge.

Refugees. EU interior ministers met in Brussels on Thursday and
decided to grant the refugees from Ukraine temporary protection in the EU, said
the European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Yiva Johansson. She didn’t say
if the measure applies to the refugees that are not Ukrainian citizen. In principle, Ukrainian
citizens and residents in Ukraine, as well as their family members displaced because of the conflict, will be eligible for protection in the EU.
Non-Ukrainian citizens and stateless persons legally residing in Ukraine who cannot return to their country or region of origin, as well
as asylum seekers or beneficiaries of international protection and their family
members will also receive protection in the Union. The other persons, who are
in Ukraine for a short stay and who can return safely to their countries of
origin, are not covered by this temporary protection in the Community bloc.
However, they should be allowed access to the Union for transit to their
countries of origin.According to the United
Nations, one million people have fled Ukraine since the start of the Russian
invasion, most of them to neighboring states Poland, Romania, Slovakia and
Hungary.

Cooperation. The prime ministers of
Romania and Poland condemned the illegal aggression of the Russian armed forces
in Ukraine, Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca said in Warsaw on Thursday, at the end
of the joint meeting of the Romanian and Polish Governments. Nicolae Ciucă stated
that the two countries discussed providing together the necessary support for
the big wave of refugees coming to both Romania and Poland. Romania’s prime
minister announced that Poland would join the NATO forces defending the eastern
flank. We already have measures that we have carried out together, there
is a Polish military structure that is part of the Multinational Brigade in
Romania, we have a structure that is part of the combat group that is present
on Polish territory, Nicolae said. In turn, Prime Minister Mateusz
Morawiecki said Poland and Romania were doing everything for peaceful
coexistence, agreeing on all diplomatic and political actions. The two prime
ministers have decided to support the EU accession of Georgia, Ukraine and the
Republic of Moldova.

Chisinau. The President of the Republic of Moldova (ex-Soviet, mostly
Romanian-speaking), Maia Sandu, signed the application for EU membership on
Thursday. Maia Sandu stated that the
application for accession to the EU bloc is addressed to Emmanuel Macron, the
president of France, the country that is holding the rotating presidency the
Council of the European Union, and that it will be filed in Brussels in the coming
days. The Republic of Moldova must have a clear European path. We are ready to
do everything to achieve this fundamental national goal , said Maia Sandu.
Also on Thursday, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili signed a petition
for the start of the special procedure for recognizing his country as a
candidate for EU accession. A similar decision was taken by Ukraine a few days
ago in the context of the Russian invasion of its territory.

Crash. Prosecutors with the Military Prosecutor’s Office have
opened an criminal investigation into the crashing of two planes in the
south-east of the country, which resulted in the death of eight people. The pilot of a Romanian MiG 21 LanceR military plane and
seven soldiers sent to find him, in a search and rescue operation, with an IAR
330-Puma helicopter, lost their lives on Wednesday evening. Their aircraft were
involved in separate accidents. The MiG plane was on an air patrol when it
disappeared from the radar, in southeastern Romania. The pilot of the IAR
330-Puma helicopter, sent to find him, reported unfavorable weather and was
recalled to the base before crashing, the Ministry of Defense said. Romania, a
member of NATO, currently has less than two full squadrons of LanceR MiG-21
fighter jets operational, along with the 17 newly equipped F-16 aircraft for
its own air and combat police missions. Originally from the Soviet Union, the
MiG-21 had been in service for over 40 years and was upgraded about 20 years
ago. IAR 330-Puma helicopters have also been flying for almost 40 years, being
modernized in recent years.

Covid-19. On
Thursday Romania reported almost 6,000 new Covid infections and 114 new related
fatalities, including nine from an earlier date. 850 Covid patients are in
intensive care. Romanian health minister Alexandru Rafila proposed easing some
of the restrictions, such as no longer wearing face masks outdoors, no longer
requiring the Covid certificate to enter shops, hotels, restaurants and public
institutions, allowing cinemas and performance and sports venues to host more
spectators and expanding the maximum number of people allowed to attend private
events. (MI)