Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu on June 23 said a statement by the chief of the Russia-controlled part of Ukraine's Kherson region, Volodymyr Saldo, that Russian armed forces may attack the Giurgiulesti Bridge, which connects Romania and Moldova, in response to a Ukrainian attack on a bridge in Crimea shows "how important it is that Romania is part of NATO." Ciolacu added that Romania has an "obligation" to provide security to Moldova. Romania and Moldova share a common language and history. On June 22, the Moldovan Foreign Ministry summoned Russian Ambassador Oleg Vasnetsov over Saldo's statement, telling him such statements "are absolutely unacceptable." To read the original story of RFE/RL's Moldovan Service, click here.
Romanian PM Raises Alarm Over Russian Threat To Key Bridge To Moldova
The Chonhar bridge, which connects the Russian-occupied Crimea with mainland Ukraine, was damaged by shelling on June 22.