Romanian President Nikos Dan said after Sunday's meeting of the so-called “Coalition of the Willing“ that his country is ready, along with the US and European partners, to contribute to providing strong security guarantees for Ukraine, Agerpres reported, BTA reported.
The video conference call was attended by leaders from the EU and NATO, including NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, and others.
On his Facebook profile, the Romanian president wrote that “strengthening Ukraine guarantees the security of Europe and our region“. Dan added: “History has shown that Russia does not honor its own commitments. As Ukraine's neighbors, participating in such security guarantees is an investment in our own security“.
He stressed that pressure on Russia, including through sanctions, must not be relaxed until peace is achieved.
“All of us (the participants in the meeting – ed.) agree that unity and transatlantic coordination in support of Ukraine remain our source of strength in the face of Russia's continued aggressive behavior. Cessation of attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure is the first step for Russia to show that it is committed to genuine peace negotiations. How can we trust Russia if it continues to kill innocent people?“, the Romanian president wrote, adding that “no decision on Ukraine can be made without Ukraine“.
For her part, Romanian Foreign Minister Oana Coiu said on Romanian national television TeVere (TVR) that there is a big difference between negotiations held during drone attacks and talks during an existing ceasefire. She indicated that Romania supports the option that provides for a ceasefire and the maintenance of sanctions against Russia while the negotiations are ongoing.