🇷🇴🔫🇺🇦 President Johannis has decided he will send a MIM-104 Patriot system to Ukraine!

🔗 https://www.presidency.ro/ro/media/sedinta-consiliului-suprem-de-aparare-a-tarii1718883520

🇷🇴🤝🇳🇱🌐 President Klaus Johannis, has withdrawn from the race for NATO's next chief. Announces support for Mark Rutte who can now become the next NATO chief.

🔗 POLITICO

🇷🇴🔫🇺🇦 The Romanian MoD remained opposed to sending one of its MIM-104 Patriot Systems to Ukraine but was overridden by Johannis.

The main concern of the MoD was that its system would be destroyed inside the combat theater and would never get it back.

Romania has paid 4 billion USD for 7 systems one of which it donated free of charge... yet. Johannis did say he wanted something in exchange but remains to be seen what will be offered by the Americans who wanted Romania to give away one of these systems anyway.

🔗 https://www.digi24.ro/stiri/actualitate/surse-mapn-nu-vrea-sa-trimita-rachete-patriot-in-ucraina-raportul-a-fost-trimis-lui-iohannis-inainte-de-sedinta-csat-de-joi-2831947

🇪🇺⚡️ Since we are on the topic of EU politics - POLITICO: EU leaders fail to agree on von der Leyen’s second term

To give a summary of the article: On June 17th, the EPP, S&D and RE groups reunited to choose the next president of the European Commission and the presidents of the European Council, EU Parliament and EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs.

The meeting was organised quickly because of the recent defeats of the ruling parties in France and Germany in the European elections who saw massive gains by right-wing parties to the detriment of ruling progressivist-liberal-social-democrats. However the meeting did not go smoothly because the EPP demanded more concessions from their coalition partners, the S&D and RE, who, unlike the EPP, lost a number of seats in this election, not enough to destroy their majority though.

The plan was to continue the VDL Commission but with the EPP demanding a split term on the European Council from the social-dems ruined the meeting and talks collapsed. However, POLITICO doesn't think that there will be another candidate for president of the Commission, with VDL expected to gain a 2nd term, Portugal's social-dem, Antonio Costa, to become the new head of the European Council, Estonia's liberal Kaja Kallas to become the new EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Malta's Roberta Metsola to continue as president of the EU Parliament.

One thing POLITICO mentions is that Italian PM and de-facto boss of the ECR group, Giorgia Meloni, was angry that she was ignored and barred from the negotiations for the new Commission meaning that her soft stance on the EPP was pointless (retarded actually) and with the benefit of hindsight, her wishes for a join EPP-ECR alliance were delusional at best, outright moronic at worst.

There's a new meeting scheduled for June 27-28th were EU leaders are hopeful to elect the new Commission then.

🔗 https://www.politico.eu/article/leaders-fail-to-agree-on-von-der-leyens-second-term/

— Interestingly, the Romanian MFA did not condemn Hungary for LGBT rights violations this year, unlike in 2023.

🔗 https://t.me/littleentente1/3749

🔗 https://t.me/littleentente1/3751

🇫🇷🌐🇷🇴 In a typical Romanian fashion, Romania wants more NATO troops on its soil but fails to build/repair the infrastructure required to support a bigger deployment from NATO.

France has invested some 80 million EURs in two years building up the decrepit military base at Cincu and hopes to expand it further in the coming years.

However transport to the base remains difficult as it is virtually impossible for the French army to transport its heavy Leclerc tanks over the bridge over the Olt river at Voila who would simply collapse under the weight. The ministry of transportation is actively disputing the responsibility over strengthening the bridge with the Brașov County council and thus, nothing is being done.

However, Brașov county president, Șerban Todorică-Constantin, promises to take care of the matter by the end of autumn blaming the bureaucracy and the Olt river with the banks of the river needing additional reinforcing to make sure the bridge will be strong enough.

The Cincu military base expects a contingent of 200 Spanish troops later this year and will have trucks, IFVs and tanks to transport. The reinforced bridge at Voila will not be ready in time for the Spanish contingent's arrival and depending on where they arrive (land at Brașov or Bucharest) it could mean a trip between 6 hours to 3 hours.

Because of the weak bridge at Voila, it means that any incoming transports need make a detour and cross the Olt river at Făgăraș taking the DJ 104D route to Șoarș and then cross on the DJ 105A towards Rodbav and follow the road until they reach Cincu. This detour unnecessarily prolongs the route by one - one and a half hours.

🔗 https://romania.europalibera.org/a/romania-cere-nato-sa-trimita-mai-multe-trupe-dar-de-doi-ani-nu-construieste-un-pod-pentru-ca-trupele-sa-se-deplaseze-mai-rapid/32998096.html

🟦🗳⚡️ Another contender for the president of USR is Radu Hossu.

Radu Hossu became known on the outbreak of the Russo-Ukrainian war organising civilian aid shipments to Ukraine from Romania. He crowdfunded his aid and would help form the ”Getica” Romanian Battlegroup which, together with other foreign volunteer battalions made an incursion into Russia itself last March, although he himself did not partake in the actual combat.

He is a senior member of the Romanian branch of the NAFO movement and was even awarded the Order of Merit 3rd class by Ukrainian president, Vladimir Zelensky.

He is less clear about what he plans to do, if elected president of USR compared to Elena Lasconi, speaking of ”bringing the voters back to the party” and ”bringing serious people into politics”.

@Wallachian_Gazette

🇷🇴☦️🇨🇳 First Romanian-language Liturgy celebrated in China

The service, officiated by Fr. Constantin Prihoanca from the Romanian Diocese of Germany and Central and Northern Europe, gathered numerous local Romanians at the Consulate General of Romania in Shanghai, reports the Basilica News Agency.

“Many Romanians in this part of the world had the opportunity to confess and receive Holy Communion, to commemorate their departed, and also to hear the Divine Liturgy in Romanian for the first time in this part of the world,” the priest said.

During the meetings, the need to establish a Romanian parish for nearly 300 Romanians and Moldovans living in the area was discussed. The nearest Romanian parish is more than 1,000 miles away in Tokyo.

The Russian Orthodox Church first brought Orthodoxy to China in the late 17th century. Today it has an autonomous Chinese Orthodox Church with a handful of parishes throughout the country. The Patriarchate of Constantinople also has a Metropolis of Hong Kong and Southeast Asia.

🔗 https://orthochristian.com/160785.html