Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday said he had secured more military support from Romania, angering pro-Russian politicians who sought to drive a wedge between their country and Ukraine.
“Romania is a friend who came to our help on our darkest day and whose support gets stronger with time. I am certain this visit will be beneficial for both of our nations,” Zelensky said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
After talks with Iohannis in Bucharest, Zelensky said he had “good news” on artillery and air defense supplies after, but gave no details. He also refused to say what military aid Romania was providing, citing security.
“My main accent today was air defense. And I’m glad that Ukraine was heard by the Romanian side,” Zelensky, who has been seeking more arms to defend Ukraine against Russia’s invasion, told a joint press conference in the Romanian capital.
Iohannis vowed to continue supporting Ukraine „including militarily, until victory.” He said Zelensky’s visit was of a „historic nature.”
Zelensky also said everything possible should be done to prevent Russia turning part of the Black Sea or the Danube region into what he described as a maritime “dead zone”.
Russia pulled out of a deal that guaranteed safe shipments of Ukrainian grain via the Black Sea, and has been attacking Ukrainian port infrastructure on the Danube River.
Not everyone in Romania welcomed the visit. Pro-Russian party SOS accused Zelensky of not granting rights to ethnic Romanians, echoing a line promoted by Kremlin propaganda designed to turn Romanians against Ukrainians.
The party called on Zelensky to reopen schools and lyceums that functioned during the Soviet era and reopen Romanian churches. It’s an issue that Romanian diplomats have been working on for years, but preferred not to make it a public issue so as to preserve good relations with Ukraine.
„You come to Romania to ask for help? Stop the persecution of Orthodox Christian priests, … and release from detention those who have been imprisoned for defending our faith.” The party also accused Ukrainians of using ethnic Romanians as „cannon fodder” in the defense against Russia’s invasion.
Zelensky canceled a planned appearance in Parliament, saying he hadn’t prepared a speech and would do so next time. There was speculation that the two sides wanted to avoid rowdy scenes with the AUR party, which is hostile to the government and its foreign policy.
Romanian Foreign Minister Luminita Odobescu met the Ukrainian leader at the Henri Coanda Airport in Bucharest on what is his first visit to the country.
Zelensky earlier tweeted that he would be focusing on “developing aviation and other coalitions, strengthening Ukraine’s air defense, the Black Sea security architecture,” in meetings with his Romanian counterpart President Klaus Iohannis.
NATO and EU-member Romania shares a 630-kilometer long border with Ukraine.
On Oct. 2, Mrs. Odobescu attended a meeting of European Union foreign ministers in Kyiv, where she said Romania will continue to assist Ukraine with military aid, grain transit, and accession to the EU.
„Romania and some of the other (EU) members with the longest borders with Ukraine understand well the consequences of the war in Ukraine,” Mrs Odobescu added, referring to debris from Russian drones on Romanian soil several times in September.
While the attacks are not intentionally targeting Romania, the situation is still „unacceptable,” Iohannis said Sept. 21.
