Morning headlines – January 27th 2022

Coronavirus and vaccines

• Vaccination in Romania: In the last 24 hours, more than 18.000 people got vaccinated. Totally, more than 8,05 million people got the vaccine, with more than 7,95 getting both doses and 2,33 of them getting the third dose. (Press release)
• Coronavirus in Romania: In the last 24 hours, there were recorded 34.255 SARS CoV-2 cases, 94 deaths, and in ICU there are now 692 people hospitalized. (Press release)

Global political and military events

• NATO and the US sent Moscow the response to Kremlin’s security demands. The US have rejected, on Wednesday, Russia’s demands on not allowing Ukraine to join NATO and said that, although Moscow is ready to invade the Ukrainian territory by midst February, the Americans are offering a `diplomatic path` to follow. NATO as well rejected, on Wednesday, Russia’s demands, this being underlined by the NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, during a press conference, wherein he underlined that Alliance’s doors stay open. (Mediafax)
• Putin will decide Russia’s next step. The Russian foreign affairs minister, Sergey Lavrov, has stated, on Wednesday, that it will hand the Kremlin the proposals for Russia’s following moves, after NATO and the US rejected the peace guarantees. (Tass)
• NATO asks Russia to withdraw the troops from Moldova, Ukraine and Georgia. NATO, through the Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has stated that it sent its written proposals to Moscow. Among the Aliance’s demands for Kremlin is also the withdrawal of the Russian forces from Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova, where there are dislocated without the host nation’s government approval. (Mediafax)
• The NATO troops to Eastern Europe could increase. The United States and the allied countries are discussing about sending 1.000 troops to Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary, have stated, on Wednesday, three officials in Washington, quoted by CNN. (Mediafax)
• Erdogan is warning Putin not to invade Ukraine. The Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has warned Vladimir Putin, on Wednesday, on not invading Ukraine. He said it would not be wise for Russia to launch a military conflict and warned Turkey will do anything necessary as a NATO member. (AP)
• Pope’s call for Russia not to invade Ukraine. `During war, people suffered hunger, so much cruelty. They deserve peace`, said Pope Francis during an audience in Vatican. (AFP)
• Russia dislocated S-400 missiles and Su-35 aircrafts in Belarus.  Saying there will be a common military drill in February, the Russian armed forces dislocated in Belarus hundreds of armored vehicles, modern missile systems and Su-35, some analysts thinking that these could be used for threatening Ukraine with an invasion. (AP)
• The US and China have discussed the situation in Ukraine. The Chinese foreign minister, Wang Yi, has discussed, on Wednesday, on the phone, with the US counterpart, Antony Blinken, about the situation in Ukraine. China’s representative has stated that he asked all involved parties to choose dialogue. (AP)
• The EU wants to impose sanctions to the African countries where there are Russian mercenaries. The European Union has warned on Wednesday the countries in the Sahel area not to hire Russian mercenaries and underlined that it is ready to impose sanctions. The Wagner company is accused for breaking the human rights in the Central African Republic, Libya and Syria. (Mediafax)
• North Korea has launched two ballistic missiles. North Korea continued the missile launch series, the last two short range of action missiles being launched on Thursday morning, in the Japan Sea, where it hit a target at 190 km distance, flying at a 20 km altitude. It is the sixth test since the beginning of the year. (AP)

Romania’s defence and security

• The French Minister of Defense arrives in Bucharest. The French Minister of Defense, Florence Parly, pays a visit to Bucharest on Wednesday and Thursday, on which occasion she will have meetings with the President Klaus Iohannis, the Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă and the Minister of National Defense, Vasile Dîncu. (Agerpres)
• Russia could inspect the Deveselu base. The North Atlantic Alliance proposes to Russia practical measures to increase transparency and arms control, and a possible agreement with Moscow could include conducting reciprocal inspections, including at NATO anti-ballistic bases in Romania and Poland. (Hotnews)
• The government is punishing aggressive drivers. The Government is to approve, in Thursday's meeting, by an ordinance, the amendment and completion of GEO no. 195/2002 on traffic on public roads, establishing new sanctions for several deviations from the road legislation, as well as the definition and sanctioning of aggressive behavior steering wheel. (Agerpres)
• In Romania, the most expensive petrol and diesel in history are sold. Currently, according to Peco-online.ro data, the average price of gasoline on January 25 was 6.59 lei per liter, while the average price of diesel was 6.52 lei per liter. (Digi24)