Romanian Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă on Friday accused Russia of ‘crimes against humanity’ and ‘war crimes’, becoming the latest leader to express outrage about its invasion of Ukraine last month.
The prime minister said the world was “finding out about the horrors war in Mariupol, Kherson, Kharkiv and Kyiv. These are real crimes against humanity, war crimes which characterize Russia’s aggression,” he said.
He called the conflict “an unacceptable aggression with enormous suffering.”
Some 7,000 Russian soldiers have been killed in Ukraine, 14,000 injured, according to latest estimates by US officials quoted by The New York Times. Another 2,870 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed, 3,700 injured and 572 captured, Russia said.
Ukraine says 3,000 civilians have been killed in Mariupol and Kharkiv alone.
Allegations that Russian President Vladimir Putin is a war criminal are beginning to pile up.
International outrage at Russian attacks on civilians, most notably the bombing of a maternity and children’s hospital, have prompted nations and international bodies to launch a range of investigations into the actions of Russia and its leader.
U.S. President Joe Biden made a damning assessment of the Russian leader. „I think he is a war criminal” Mr Biden said this week.
British Prime Minster Boris Johnson told the UK parliament that the bombing of innocent civilians „already fully qualifies as a war crime”.
The Romanian prime minister praised his country for its response to the humanitarian crisis.
“Romania offered support to everyone. It was a moment when Romania was recognized by all world leaders. It was a moment when Romania shined.”
Romania has invested 3-4 million in a humanitarian hub in the northern city of Suceava. The European Union has promised half a million euros for humanitarian efforts.
The prime minister also said Romania had won international recognition for handling the refugee crisis.
Mr Ciuca also said Romania had won international recognition for handling the refugee crisis.
Compared to 2015 when a million migrants from the Middle East threatened Europe, the Ukrainian refugee crisis showed the opposite reaction: solidarity.”
Romania to offer energy infrastructure to EU to reduce dependence on Russian gas
