Foreign Minister Oana Toiu emphasized the big difference between negotiations carried out under drone strikes and settlement talks conducted while there’s a ceasefire in effect, pointing out that Romania supports the variant providing for a ceasefire and maintaining sanctions against Russia.
„We, at EU level, together with President Volodymyr Zelensky, have not yet agreed on this, namely moving directly to the peace agreement without demanding a ceasefire first. Our position, including for Monday’s meeting, is to support President Zelensky in this necessary demand for a ceasefire during negotiations, because concrete actions and steps are needed to gradually generate this necessary trust for peace negotiations. (…) There is a willingness, that was also mentioned in meetings and stated publicly by President Zelensky, to cease the fire and start talks at this moment from the front line. It’s a reasonable proposal and we can understand why a ceasefire is necessary, so that one can advance on each of the points,” the minister declared on broadcaster TVR Info on Sunday.
The Romanian top diplomat said, however, that it is likely and expectable for Russia to put forward a lot of demands during the entire process.
„This doesn’t mean that they all have to receive a positive response, looking at some of the demands, this will be anyway impossible, but it also means that the required time investment will probably not be a small one at all. And then there is a big difference between negotiations that are carried out under drone strikes and negotiations that are carried out with a ceasefire in place. Therefore, we support the option of negotiations based on a ceasefire and sanction packages that keep the pressure for bringing us there,” Oana Toiu said.
She emphasized the need to ensure security guarantees, welcoming the openness of the US in this direction.
„It is very clear that we must find a way to jointly ensure security guarantees. From this point of view, the openness of the United States of America in this direction is also welcome. It is very important that we, in the European Union, remain united in this regard. As a matter of fact, Mark Rutte’s participation also sends out a positive and an important signal, because, especially for us, the countries neighboring the conflict, it is very important not to have just a pause in the conflict, (…) but a sustainable peace that virtually restores confidence, including to investors, because a neighboring country that enjoys peace, a prosperous and stable neighboring country, also has a positive effect on our security and economy,” explained Oana Toiu.
Referring to Monday’s talks at the White House, the Romanian foreign minister explained that this will not be a decision-making meeting, but rather „a meeting preceding a moment that can only happen with both Russia and Ukraine at the table, because there can be no ceasefire agreement, no negotiation steps, no final agreement without these two countries. Of course, the involvement of the United States of America and of all of us in the European Union is very important to ensure that things get to the dialogue table. (…) It is very important that things are currently moving forward. And the European Union has largely succeeded these days to activate rapid consultation mechanisms and practically get aligned. Including the decision regarding the presence of certain leaders at the meeting with Donald Trump was not met with opposition, it did not generate divergent formats, because as long as we are in the joint discussion formats, it is very important to align ourselves with the teams that are present there,” the minister concluded.
AGERPRES
