Morning headlines – January 20th 2022
Florin Jipa
Image source: Mediafax
Coronavirus and vaccines
- Vaccination in Romania: In the last 24 hours, more than 16.000 people got vaccinated. Totally, more than 8,03 million people got the vaccine, with more than 7,93 getting both doses and 2,25 of them getting the third dose. (Press release)
- Coronavirus in Romania: In the last 24 hours, there were recorded 16.510 SARS CoV-2 cases, 56 deaths, and in ICU there are now 530 people hospitalized. (Press release)
Global political and military events
- Biden thinks Putin will invade Ukraine. „If you invade Ukraine, you will pay!”. Russia is testing NATO’s patience. The US president, Joe Biden, stated on Wednesday, during the White House press conference, that he expects Russia to make the first move given the tensions at the border with Ukraine. From a military perspective, the Russians have an overwhelming advantage comparing to Ukraine. But they will pay an immediate price, on long and medium term, if they invade. (Mediafax)
- Russia will accept only firm guarantees that NATO will not expend towards East. The Vladimir Putin administration said, on Wednesday, that the main claim in the US-NATO negotiations was stopping the North-Alliance’s extension towards the East, Moscow insisting on legal guarantees to that end. (Mediafax)
- Putin could recognize the independence of the Eastern Ukraine regions. Many Russian parliamentarians have demanded the Kremlin to recognize the independence of the two separatist regions from Eastern Ukraine. (AP)
- Cyber attack over the Red Cross headquarter in Switzerland. The Red Cross International Committee announced on Wednesday that it was the victim of a cyber attack during which the hackers seized the data of all 515.000 people who are in a vulnerable condition, some of them running from conflicts. (Agerpress)
- Russian, Chinese and Iranian naval drill. Russian and Chinese ships got to the Chabahar port in South-West Iran to participate to a naval drill in the Indian Ocean. (CNN)
Romania’s defence and security
- France is ready to contribute to NATO missions in Eastern Europe, including Romania. The statement was made by Emmanuel Macron in his speech in Haguenau at the French Military Command Oberhoffen, where he stated that a strategy to strengthen the defense of France and Europe, an "independent, fully sovereign strategy, a strategy for the power of peace and balance". (Mediafax)
- Romania proposes to the Republic of Moldova a new agreement for the provision of technical and financial assistance. On Wednesday, the Ciuca government approved the draft agreement on providing technical and financial assistance to the Republic of Moldova. The document was sent to Chisinau to start negotiations, Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu announced. (Digi24)
