Nicușor Dan, president, said Monday at the B9 summit in Vilnius that Romania will continue to support Ukraine against the Russian invasion, saying Ukraine is a better neighbor than Russia or a Russia-controlled country.
Nicușor Dan was asked Monday in Vilnius whether Romania will be more transparent regarding military aid to Ukraine.
“I don’t know, I haven’t managed to assess so far what the benefits or risks are. In any case, Romania will continue to support Ukraine because it is about our own security, that is, it is one thing to have the current situation with a neighbor on the eastern border — Ukraine — with whom we have a treaty from ’97, and another to have Russia or a country (...) that becomes Belarus,” Nicușor Dan replied.
He also said he will probably address this topic at the Southeast Europe Summit, which will take place in Odessa on June 11.
“Very likely, I will go to the Odessa summit on June 11 and there the discussions will be more technical,” Nicușor Dan added.
In Vilnius, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met for the first time with the new President of Romania, Nicușor Dan.
The Head of State congratulated Nicușor Dan on his election victory and emphasized that Ukraine looks forward to deepening relations with Romania.
“We are very grateful to your country, your people, and your government – since the very beginning of the war – for supporting our people, for offering shelter to our citizens, and for your military assistance. Thank you sincerely. And of course, we are deeply grateful for your support of our future EU membership,” said Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The President of Romania assured that Ukraine can count on continued assistance and support for its EU and NATO membership.
The leaders discussed diplomatic efforts to achieve peace in Ukraine and across Europe. President Zelenskyy briefed his counterpart on the meeting in Istanbul, noting that while the talks unfortunately did not bring steps closer to peace, there was an agreement on a prisoner exchange and the return of the bodies of the fallen – something of great importance to Ukraine.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed the need to increase sanctions against Russia in order to deprive Moscow of opportunities to expand its military production and continue the war.
He also emphasized Ukraine’s technological experience gained during its defense against Russian aggression and proposed deepening cooperation in the defense sector. The President added that Ukraine is open to new projects in the fields of economy, infrastructure, and reconstruction.
Particular attention was paid to the upcoming NATO Summit. The President of Ukraine underscored the importance of Ukraine being properly represented in The Hague, noting that every voice and every country’s support matters on this issue.
