RRI Live!

Listen to Radio Romania International Live

The Ukraine Conflict and Ethnic Romanians

In west Ukraine ethnic Romanians blocked several roads to protest a new partial military mobilization.

The Ukraine Conflict and Ethnic Romanians
The Ukraine Conflict and Ethnic Romanians

, 28.07.2014, 13:07

On Friday the Romanian Foreign Ministry issued a new warning concerning the armed conflict in east Ukraine, this time about a number of roads in the Cernauti region, near the Romanian border, which had been blocked. Sources from the region later explained that the locals in west Ukraine, mostly ethnic Romanians, had chosen this form of protest to express their discontent with Kiev’s decision to call a new partial military mobilization.



Hundreds of Romanian youth were called to arms, and their parents fear that they will be sent to fight against the pro-Russian separatists in the east of the country. People from Cernauti have already lost their lives in the clashes, so outraged people burnt their incorporation orders in the streets. The locals blocked the roads and threatened they would not leave until the regional authorities cancel the orders issued after the Parliament of Ukraine approved a partial mobilization last week. The president of the “Mihai Eminescu” Romanian Cultural Association in Cernauti, Vasile Bacu, told Radio Romania:



Vasile Bacu: “A lot of men were invited to the Military Commissariat to establish reservist units that would receive military training. Those who took to the streets are mostly the parents and relatives of those who are already deployed to the east of the country, because bad news keeps coming from that region. Men from Cernauti were killed there as well. So everybody is afraid their men will be sent to war.”



“We need peace in Ukraine. We don’t need our kids going to war and dying,” says one of the protesters, quoted by Romanian mass media. Another one wonders why Romanian youth have to die in Donbas or Donetsk, whereas young people from eastern Ukraine came to their region as refugees.



Totaling around half a million people, the Romanian community in Ukraine lives mostly in the west of the country, in the former Romanian territories that were annexed by the former Soviet Union in 1940, and which in 1991 became part of Ukraine. This third-largest ethnic community in Ukraine, after the Ukrainians and Russians, the Romanian minority has no part in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.



In Bucharest, the Foreign Ministry once again recommended caution as regards travels to Ukraine, and posted updated security information on the region on its homepage, at www.mae.ro.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte (Source: NATO)
Today in the News Tuesday, 05 November 2024

NATO must stay united

NATO will work with the winner of the US elections, whoever that person may be and will do its best to stay united, NATO secretary general Mark Rutte...

NATO must stay united
Maia Sandu (Photo: presedinte.md)
Today in the News Monday, 04 November 2024

Moldova stays on path to Europe

Moldova’s pro-European president Maia Sandu won a new  4-year term in Sunday’s second round run-off, with over 55% of the votes cast in the...

Moldova stays on path to Europe
The head of the Permanent Electoral Authority (AEP), Toni Grebla
Today in the News Monday, 04 November 2024

Election campaigns in Romania

    The campaign for the general election in Romania started last week, at midnight on Thursday, and will end on 30 November. During this...

Election campaigns in Romania
November 1 - National Radio Day
Today in the News Friday, 01 November 2024

Radio Romania 96

Radio Romania has celebrated 96 years since it first entered the listeners houses from Romania and abroad. On November 1 1928 the Romanians were able...

Radio Romania 96
Today in the News Thursday, 31 October 2024

Romanians’ concerns

Romanians and Austrians are the most satisfied with their lives among the inhabitants of Central and Eastern Europe, but the former are significantly...

Romanians’ concerns
Today in the News Thursday, 31 October 2024

Republic of Moldova, crucial final

On November 3, the citizens of the Republic of Moldova have to choose, for the position of head of state, between the pro-European Maia Sandu, the...

Republic of Moldova, crucial final
Today in the News Wednesday, 30 October 2024

Drones, a security issue

The Romanian Ministry of National Defense has placed under decisional transparency a bill that improves airspace security measures. The bill, which...

Drones, a security issue
Today in the News Wednesday, 30 October 2024

The Fugitive Law is constitutional

The Constitutional Court of Romania (CCR) has rejected the referral of the High Court of Cassation and Justice (ICCJ) in relation to the so-called...

The Fugitive Law is constitutional

Partners

Muzeul Național al Țăranului Român Muzeul Național al Țăranului Român
Liga Studentilor Romani din Strainatate - LSRS Liga Studentilor Romani din Strainatate - LSRS
Modernism | The Leading Romanian Art Magazine Online Modernism | The Leading Romanian Art Magazine Online
Institului European din România Institului European din România
Institutul Francez din România – Bucureşti Institutul Francez din România – Bucureşti
Muzeul Național de Artă al României Muzeul Național de Artă al României
Le petit Journal Le petit Journal
Radio Prague International Radio Prague International
Muzeul Național de Istorie a României Muzeul Național de Istorie a României
ARCUB ARCUB
Radio Canada International Radio Canada International
Muzeul Național al Satului „Dimitrie Gusti” Muzeul Național al Satului „Dimitrie Gusti”
SWI swissinfo.ch SWI swissinfo.ch
UBB Radio ONLINE UBB Radio ONLINE
Strona główna - English Section - polskieradio.pl Strona główna - English Section - polskieradio.pl
creart - Centrul de Creație Artă și Tradiție al Municipiului Bucuresti creart - Centrul de Creație Artă și Tradiție al Municipiului Bucuresti
italradio italradio
Institutul Confucius Institutul Confucius
BUCPRESS - știri din Cernăuți BUCPRESS - știri din Cernăuți

Affiliates

Euranet Plus Euranet Plus
AIB | the trade association for international broadcasters AIB | the trade association for international broadcasters
Digital Radio Mondiale Digital Radio Mondiale
News and current affairs from Germany and around the world News and current affairs from Germany and around the world
Comunità radiotelevisiva italofona Comunità radiotelevisiva italofona

Providers

RADIOCOM RADIOCOM
Zeno Media - The Everything Audio Company Zeno Media - The Everything Audio Company