International support for Ukraine

The West will support Ukraine and put additional pressure on Moscow, including by adopting new sanctions.

Ştefan Stoica, 20.04.2022, 14:00

Western states and institutions will continue to provide support in any
way possible to Ukraine, including by adopting new sanctions against Russia and
continuing to isolate Moscow on the global stage. These are the conclusions of
the first round of consultations called by US president Joe Biden and attended
by NATO, EU and G7 leaders. Representing Romania was president Klaus Iohannis.
According to the Presidency, global leaders analyzed the security context and prospects,
as well as the serious humanitarian crisis resulted from the withdrawal of
Russian troops from occupied regions. They condemned the crimes against
civilians and the massive destruction caused in residential areas and the
damages to civilian infrastructure, and reiterated their firm support for the activity
of the International Criminal Court in investigating, judging and sentencing
those responsible.

In his address, president Iohannis highlighted the crucial
importance of maintaining close cooperation and unity at Euro-Atlantic level,
as well as with all partners who share the same vision. The Romanian president firmly
condemned the crimes committed by Russian troops against the civilians and the
continuous bombing targeting civilian targets. On the other hand, Klaus
Iohannis referred to Romania’s actions to support Ukraine at political,
logistical and humanitarian level. Additionally, Romania helps hundreds of
thousands of Ukrainian refugees who enter the country, including by providing
them with accommodation. The president also underscored the broad impact of the
current crisis on the security framework on the eastern flank, especially in
the Black Sea. Klaus Iohannis reaffirmed the importance of swiftly implementing
the decisions of the extraordinary NATO summit of March regarding the
accelerated setup of a battlegroup in Romania, as a first step towards balancing
and consolidating NATO’s long-term presence on the eastern flank.

According to
the Romanian president, the serious security situation once again proves the
need to consolidate NATO’s deterrence and defense posture in the region, and
also referred to the decisions regarding the transformation and long-term adaptation
of the Alliance, which are expected to be discussed at the NATO Summit in
Madrid in June. Romania’s president also underlined the need to support the
efforts of the Republic of Moldova at political and economic level with a view
to managing the flow of Ukrainian refugees, as well as to help this country
deal with the energy crisis. The Romanian official also called for firm and
coordinated action in order to eliminate energy reliance on Russia, saying that
sanctions turned out to be an effective instrument. (VP)