The victory of Ukraine will lead to democratization of Russia, - Romania Representative

The West should provide Ukraine with all the necessary support to win the war against Russia and restore the integrity of Ukrainian territory within its borders of 1991.

This was emphasized by Iulian Chifu, State Counsellor of the Prime Minister of Romania for Foreign relations, Security and Strategies Affairs, in his speech at the 15^th annual Kyiv Security Forum, established by the Arseniy Yatsenyuk’s “Open Ukraine” Foundation.

“Substantive assistance and support is needed for Ukraine to achieve a real victory and restore its territorial integrity within the borders of 1991. Russia must pay for the damages caused, and those countries that assist Russia to circumvent sanctions must also be punished... Ukraine’s victory will lead to the democratization of Russia itself,” he said.

Iulian Chifu focused on several key points of the current war.

First, the international community took a clear pro-Ukrainian stand, reflecting this in a number of adopted documents: “All international documents emphasize: Ukraine must win, Russia must lose. There are no doubts here or question marks, as this is about respect for the world order.”

Mr Chfu emphasized that the democratic world must continue supporting Ukrainians as it defends the values of the free world: “We must defend and protect all of Ukraine so that there is no additional pressure on the military whose families remain in civilian homes, schools and kindergartens under continuous missile attacks.”

The Secretary of State believes that several lessons should be learned from the current conflict, one of which is that “gray areas mean a green light for the aggressor to strike.”

In addition, he warned that Russia could exert its influence on Transnistria and turn this territory into a “new Kaliningrad.”

Specifically, Iulian Chifu emphasized the importance of strengthening security in the Black Sea region.

“At the Madrid summit we argued for the Black Sea to become a region of strategic interest for NATO. And I think that now we can, together with our Ukrainian friends, ensure that the Black Sea Strategy be developed with the participation of the US Congress as well,” he said.

Noteworthy, the 15^th annual Kyiv security forum “For Our and Your Freedom/ Fighting for NATO” will be held on May 25-26, 2023, with the participation of well-known international figures. In particular, at the Forum, the KSF Security Council will be established and a policy document will be adopted with recommendations for the NATO summit in Vilnius to be held this July.