Toiu Oana@oana_toiu
February 24, 2022 is a dark day in Europe’s recent history. Four years ago, on that morning, Ukraine and Europe — and together with them Romania — awoke to the first war of conquest on our continent since 1945.
We count the years that have passed since then, yet the suffering caused by Moscow’s unprovoked and illegal war remains impossible to quantify.
Our admiration and respect for the courage and dignity of the Ukrainian people have only grown over time.
It is the Ukrainians who stand, with selflessness and bravery, between the aggressor and the rest of Europe. They do so for their families, but in doing so they protect ours as well.
Romania responded immediately to this aggression.
From the very first days of the war, Romanian civil society, communities, and families across the country opened their homes, schools, sports halls, and town halls to help the stream of refugees — women and children fleeing the initial Russian bombardments.
Romania also facilitated the evacuation of tens of thousands of third-country nationals, including thousands of foreign students.
Gradually, Romania’s assistance evolved into a systematic, multidimensional effort. Together with other EU Member States, European partners, and our Transatlantic allies, we have provided the civilian and military support necessary to enable Ukraine and its people to defend themselves against this illegal aggression. This is on line with the international obligations requiring UN Member States to assist countries subjected to aggression. It is also in light of the clear Romanian security intere. Faced with the clear evidence of a revanchist imperial war waged by the Russian Federation, Romania adopted policies commensurate with this unprecedented challenge.
Beyond defense assistance, Romania has contributed — and continues to contribute — to the resilience of Ukrainian society by facilitating grain exports, providing energy support, and more.
Beyond the humanitarian dimension, Romania’s solidarity with Ukraine is a direct expression of its strategic interest.
Given our geography — which places us closer to this conflict than any other European country, at the mouths of the Danube and on the Black Sea — Ukraine’s survival as an independent, sovereign, and free state is an existential interest for Romania and for the NATO Eastern Flank countries from Finland to Turkey. It is crucial for Europe and the persistence of its fundamental values amd interests to have Ukraine survive the onslaught.
For this reason, Romania participates in the PURL defense procurement program for Ukraine and has donated military equipment necessary for air defense against Russian drones and missiles — the same drones that have fallen near Romania’s borders. This is why we help train Ukrainian airmen along Romanian and Allied pilots at the F16 training centre in Romania.
All these efforts are consistent with Romania’s positions since the Russian Federation’s invasion of Georgia in 2008 and following the illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014.
This also includes Romania’s systematic and determined support for the European Union accession of Ukraine, as well as of the Republic of Moldova, a country gravely affected by Russia’s illegal war and by the continued presence of occupation troops on its territory in Transnistria.
Cooperation between Romania, the Republic of Moldova, and Ukraine in the Odesa format is the concrete expression of this coordinated political effort.
Each time I have visited Ukraine since taking office, I have reiterated the importance of this cooperation. It is also important from the perspective of Ukrainian citizens of Romanian ethnicity, who are themselves victims of Russia’s war.
Despite persistent Russian hybrid campaigns seeking to exploit legitimate public concerns and turn them into instruments of manipulation and influence, Romania remains steadfast in its solidarity with Ukraine.
Today, and every day, we remain firm in supporting our neighbor and in advocating for a just and lasting peace.
By standing with Ukraine, we stand for peace, freedom, a rules-based international order, sovereignty, and cooperation for security and prosperity. We will continue to support Ukraine for as long as necessary. @andrii_sybiha
