Romania does not have to choose between EU and US, prime minister says

Romanian prime minister Marcel Ciolacu said on Monday, February 24, that a "lasting peace" in Ukraine cannot be achieved without the involvement of the United States, and argued that Romania does not have to choose between it and the European Union.

The statements come as the Trump administration is currently negotiating a resolution to the war in Ukraine with Russia, radically toning down the previous administration’s condemnation of the aggressor state. As a result, European leaders are seeking to reassert their role in the negotiations.

"We cannot talk about a lasting peace without the involvement of Romania's strategic partner, the United States of America. It is normal for there to be a positioning between the United States and Europe because it is part of a mechanism. I am firmly convinced that in the coming period, we will all see that the approaches are actually common,” Ciolacu said, cited by Euronews Romania.

The clearest example of disagreements between the US and EU has been a UN Security Council resolution marking three years since the war in Ukraine started. The US text mourns the loss of life during the "Russia-Ukraine conflict" and implores for peace, but does not condemn Russia.

On the other side, Ukraine and the EU have for the past month been negotiating with UN member states on their own resolution on the war in Ukraine, which repeats the UN demand that Russia withdraw its troops and halt hostilities.

“There are two resolutions proposed. There is a US resolution in the Security Council. There is a resolution that EU member states will propose in the UN General Assembly plenary. You will see that Romania, in my view, must support both resolutions because they say the same thing. We are in a moment of repositioning. We are in a moment of negotiations. At this moment, taking sides is a mistake in Romania's foreign policy approach," said Marcel Ciolacu.

The prime minister added that Romania will respect its strategic partnership with the United States.

“We do not have to choose between the EU and the US. That would be a huge mistake. Romania cannot develop without European funds and without the EU. I cannot talk about Romania's security without NATO membership and without the strategic partnership with the United States," Ciolacu concluded.