Romania fully supports EU and NATO decisions for Ukraine, PM says

Romania fully supports and will enforce any decisions made by the EU and NATO decisions in case of Ukraine, including sanctions, said Romanian Prime-Minister Victor Ponta. Ukraine has been witnessing a violent revolt in its capital Kiev in recent days, leaving tens of dead, and hundreds of wounded. “If it’s about sanctions, if it’s about any action to stop the violence, Romania is a loyal partner and very determined from this point of view, which is what I have been saying all the time,” said Ponta referring to the situation in Ukraine, quoted by local news agency Mediafax. In a statement posted on the Romanian Presidency website, President Traian Basescu reaffirmed his deep concern about the situation in Ukraine. “The current situation can escalate and turn into a major conflict with consequences difficult to predict for the Ukrainian people and for the regional security at the border of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union. Romania condemns the disproportionate use of force against the population and rejects the use of violence to achieve political goals,” reads the statement. Basescu also resumed the call to the Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych to avoid using the army in suppressing street protests, and asked the police forces to refrain from using disproportionate force against demonstrators. He also called for stopping violence on the streets and engaging dialogue between the government and the opposition in order to resolve the situation in Ukraine, in the interest of the Ukrainian people, to maintain the statehood, the national sovereignty, the independence and the country’s territorial integrity. “President Traian Basescu doesn’t believe economic sanctions are desirable in Ukraine, but he believes severe sanctions are needed for those responsible for the excessive use of force,” according to the statement. Protests in Ukraine turned violent this week. According to opposition medics quoted by CNN, 100 protesters died Thursday (February 20) in clashes with police, when gunfire was unleashed. The Ukrainian Ministry of Health announced that the violence in Kiev killed 75 people since Tuesday. Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com (photo source: gov.ro)