site.btaNicolae Ciuca: We Must Help Ukraine Not Only to Defend Itself in War, but to Win

From June 29 to July 3, Bucharest is the centre of discussions on Europe's security, hosting the 31st Annual Session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), which opened on Saturday in the Romanian Parliament building, the second largest building in the world after the Pentagon. 

"Two and a half years have passed since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Just a few hundred kilometres from where we are, Romanians can hear the sound of conflict across the border. Russia's aggression against Ukraine has brought war back to the Old Continent. This is a reality that we must face with realism and determination, with long-term thinking and appropriate action," Nicolae Ciuca, President of Romania's National Liberal Party (PNL) and President of the Senate of Romania, said in his speech. 

He told participants that the Romanian authorities had decided not to allow the participation of the delegations of Russia and Belarus in the 31st session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly.

"Those who actively and deliberately undermine security in Europe cannot claim to participate in this Assembly. We cannot accept someone abusing the principles and rules of this Organization while grossly violating them," Ciuca noted.

"We must help Ukraine now with everything we can, not only to defend itself but to win the war," he stressed.

He said any hesitation in action in support of Ukraine would aggravate threat in the Black Sea region with major security, economic and societal implications for the whole continent. In the context of the conflict in Ukraine, Ciuca reiterated the importance of strengthening international support for Moldova.