President of Romania, Nicușor Dan, attended on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, United States, the United Nations Security Council meeting on Ukraine.
Below, we present the transcript of the statement delivered by the President of Romania during the meeting: “Mister President, Distinguished members of the Council, Excellencies, Ladies and gentlemen, The Russian war of aggression against Ukraine reached a critical juncture.
We agree on the need to achieve a just and lasting peace in Ukraine and to restore compliance with the United Nations Charter, as does the overwhelming majority of this Council and the United Nations members.
I come before the Council with a message of responsibility and solidarity.
Romania is firmly committed to the United Nations Charter and to the principles of sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity, which apply to all nations.
These principles have been profoundly shaken by the Russian Federation’s war of aggression against Ukraine.
A few months ago, a Russian drone crashed at night into a residential building in the city of Galați, in Romania, recklessly endangering the lives of innocent Romanian civilians.
Russian drones breach our national airspace with increasing frequency and in disregard of international law.
These violations now extend into the maritime domain, to our exclusive economic zone: on 20 August, a Russian naval drone came dangerously close to the Neptune Deep offshore gas installations in the Black Sea.
Developments in the Black Sea, a region vital to global security and prosperity, and a strategic bridge between Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, cause serious disruption to global food supply chains and lead to growing maritime insecurity.
We have brought these risks to the attention of the Council on numerous occasions.
Infringements on freedom of navigation have become recurrent, including intensified strikes on Ukraine’s ports and on commercial shipping on the Danube and in the Black Sea.
They disregard provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and endanger the safety and security of seafarers from around the world, among them nationals of member States of this Council.
The massive and repeated bombardment of Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities is unacceptable.
Deliberate attacks against the civilian population and critical infrastructure amount to war crimes.
Full responsibility for such violations and their consequences rests with the perpetrators.
International law is clear: Ukraine has a legitimate right to self-defence under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter.
In defending itself, Ukraine upholds a principle that is fundamental for all of us: the right of every State to freely choose its future.
That is why our solidarity with Ukraine and our resolve in addressing the regional and global consequences of the war remain unwavering.
As Ukraine’s Western neighbour with....
