site.btaRomania Marks Four Years Since Start of War in Ukraine

To mark the fourth anniversary of the start of the war in Ukraine, Parliament and other key buildings in Bucharest will be lit up in the colours of the Ukrainian flag on Tuesday night.

Romania's Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted on its Facebook page on Monday night: "Every year, in commemoration of the outbreak of RU brutal aggression against Ukraine, symbolic buildings in Bucharest were illuminated in the colours of the UA flag, expressing our continued support for Ukraine and its citizens. Ukraine fights for our freedom – today, as in every other day since 24 February 2022, Europe stands with Ukraine."

On Tuesday, Romanian President Nicusor Dan uploaded to his Facebook page a photograph of him shaking hands with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy with the caption: "Four years ago, one of the worst-case scenarios for Europe became a reality. Russia launched an attack against Ukraine, unleashing a merciless war against a nation that refused to be defeated. Since then, Ukraine has been fighting for all of us and keeping our entire continent safe with amazing courage and resilience." Dan added that his country will support Ukraine for as long as it is necessary.

He concluded: "Together with our partners in the European Union, we maintain that negotiations to end the war must continue until the conditions for just peace are met, with security guarantees that prevent the possibility of a new conflict. Peace in Ukraine means peace for Europe."

Radu Miruta, Romania's Minister of National Defence, wrote on his Facebook page on Tuesday morning: "Four years ago, the world changed overnight. War in Europe, something many of us thought impossible, began right on our border. In the early days, Romania was exceptional. We opened our homes. We helped. We showed solidarity. We were human beings. Today, that solidarity has turned into suspicion, quarrels, and manipulation. We are told that we have bad roads, poor schools, and not enough hospitals, because we helped Ukraine. That is not true. We have the country we have built over 36 years of democracy. Our problems are not the fault of the victims of war."

A day earlier, Miruta's predecessor, Ionut Mosteanu, reported on Facebook that in the last year alone, Russia launched over 56,000 air strikes, four times more compared to 2024, which included drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles. Over 54,000 were drone strikes on civilian infrastructure, such as schools, hospitals, churches, residential buildings.

Financial assistance

According to data released by the Fiscal Council in 2025, Romania's military, humanitarian and financial support for Ukraine between February 2022 and June 2025 amounts to EUR 1.5 billion, meaning 0.6% of Romania's GDP in 2021. It had a negligible impact on the record budget deficit, as it was equivalent to the budget for culture and sports.

Protection

As of the end of 2025, 4.35 million who fled Ukraine had been granted temporary protection status in the European Union, according to Eurostat. The total number of Ukrainian citizens under temporary protection in Romania was 201,865.

At the start of 2024, some 38,000 Ukrainian children were registered as beneficiaries of temporary protection and were integrated into the Romanian education system. They received support and assistance similar to that provided to Romanian children. Meanwhile, their numbers have declined, as more Ukrainians have left for the West, according to reports from local media.

Public attitudes

The latest survey by the INSCOP polling agency shows that three out of ten Romanians believe that the war in Ukraine will end in 2026 with a peace agreement. Just over 30% of those surveyed believe that Russia will start a new war in Europe in the next three years, while 58.8% hold the opposite view.