Romania offers support to Ukraine without asking for anything in return and without publicly defending its own priorities, sovereignist media writes.
NEWS: In Oana Țoiu's speech in Kyiv, Romania appears to be merely a supporting partner — not as an actor with its own interests and priorities. No mention of:
compensation for economic losses suffered by Romania due to the war (transport, energy, agriculture, etc.)
the Bystroye canal dispute, a source of tensions between Romania and Ukraine
the rights of the Romanian minority in Ukraine, a subject systematically ignored in official communication
the safety of Romanian citizens in the borderlands (who were also affected by Russian drones that fell on our territory)
NARRATIVE: Romania offers support to Ukraine without asking for or receiving anything in return.
PURPOSE: To promote sovereignist rhetoric, to amplify anti-Ukrainian sentiment, to decrease trust in state authorities, to stir and amplify anti-establishment tensions and social unrest.
Sovereignists, willing to help only if “there’s something to gain”
WHY THE NARRATIVE IS FALSE: Between August 7 and 8, 2025, Romanian Foreign Minister Oana Țoiu paid a visit to Ukraine, where she met with most high-ranking officials in Kyiv. Despite the claims of sovereignists aligned with Russian propaganda, the results of these meetings materialized, in addition to courtesy statements typical of international diplomacy, in concrete actions regarding Romanian-Ukrainian cooperation. Thus, talks with the Prime Minister of Ukraine, Yulia Svyrydenko, led to the Ukrainian side inviting Romanian companies to participate in the reconstruction process of Ukraine by investing in this country. Such investments will be beneficial for the Romanian economy, based on the model promoted by local sovereignists, who claim that foreign investments in Romania serve foreigners, ignoring, however, the fact that Romania and its inhabitants also enjoy these benefits. At the same time, talks with president Volodymyr Zelenskyy deepened the subject of developing bilateral ties at the level of strategic partnership. The signing of such a document will lead to closer collaboration in the economic field, an element of maximum interest for the Romanian industry. In this context, talks also addressed interconnection projects between the two countries, such as the bridge over the Tisa River, currently under construction on Romania's northern border with Ukraine. Bringing up the “Bystroye dispute” again does nothing but rehash populist-nationalist theories, camouflaged behind a concern about the environment, without any concrete argument. Ukraine uses the Chilia branch of the Danube and the Bystroye canal, with Romania's permission, as a solution for transporting grain, after Russia captured the main Ukrainian ports on the Sea of Azov and blocked the access of vessels navigating under the Ukrainian flag to the Black Sea. After the unblocking of the ports in 2023, the use of the Danube by Ukraine has decreased significantly, and now navigation is allowed only for vessels with a draft of up to 4.5 meters, with mandatory pilotage and only in daylight.
Boasting the same nationalist enthusiasm with a touch of Russian propaganda, the sovereignists are demanding compensations from Ukraine for the losses sustained by Romania, not taking into account that the said losses are due exclusively to Russian aggression and not to any deliberate action by Ukraine. Even accepting the fact that Ukraine owes us, to demand compensation now, when the neighboring country is facing an unimaginable crisis, is lacking the very compassion and kindness that Romanians that cardboard patriots refer to. Moreover, agricultural producers, travel operators and other categories of companies heavily affected by the Russian-Ukrainian war are constantly receiving incentives and compensations, both from the government and from the European Commission. Admittedly, in many cases they are insufficient, but this cannot be attributed to Ukraine. Starting 2023, the European Commission has offered Romanian farmers full compensation of almost €40 million. The EU has also supported Romania with €126 million to expand the handling and storage capacity of some of its ports, in order to cope with the flows of goods generated by the crisis in Ukraine. At the same time, the European Union approved the introduction of a state aid scheme for Romanian companies indirectly affected by the war, with a budget of approximately €2.5 billion, combining guarantees and grants, valid until mid-2024. Last year, the same European Commission approved a state aid scheme worth €400 million for Romania, intended for farmers. In addition, the European Commission extended until December 31, 2024 the possibility for member states to grant additional aid through the “Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework for Ukraine” program.
Last but not least, in their haste to (yet again!) denounce the inhuman treatment of Romanians in Ukraine at the hands of the Kyiv regime, the sovereignists fail to mention that the Romanian Foreign Minister had extensive talks on the protection of the rights of Romanians in Ukraine, such as education and religious services in Romanian. In this respect, an agreement was signed based on which August 31 became Romanian Language Day in Ukraine as well, not just in Romania and the Republic of Moldova. Oana Țoiu also discussed with Ukrainian officials about the Romanian community, especially regarding the impact of the education law on schools and high schools with Romanian-language teaching. And, contrary to the claims of anti-Ukrainian sovereignists, the Ukrainian side assured that Romanian officials would be “part of the dialogue”.
Also, following discussions between the head of Romanian diplomacy and the Ukrainian side, Kyiv authorities invited the Romanian Orthodox Church to discuss the establishment of a religious structure subordinated to the Romanian Orthodox Church (BOR) that would operate on the territory of Ukraine. Oana Țoiu stated that she had discussed with Ukrainian officials even the affiliation to BOR of some Orthodox churches where services are traditionally held in Romanian, once again denying sovereignist accusations that Romania does not ask for anything in exchange for the support provided.
As for the safety of Romanian citizens in the borderlands, affected by the Russian drones that fell on our territory, this is the responsibility of the Romanian state, and Romania has adopted the law on airspace control, which allows the intervention of the armed forces in the event of an imminent threat to the national territory and during peacetime. However, we cannot help but notice the sovereignist hypocrisy that imputes the endangerment of Romanians' safety to the target of the killer drones, not to the one who launches them, i.e. the Russian Federation.
Romanian sovereignists, angry that Ukraine is fighting for sovereignty
BACKGROUND: The “Ukrainian question” is one of the major themes of the debates in the Romanian media space invaded by sovereignist propaganda. The main narratives developed in this regard target, among other things, the law on national minorities in Ukraine, which allegedly seeks to destroy the Romanian spirit, the persecution that befell Romanian priests and Romanian Orthodox churches in Ukraine, or the abolition of Romanian-language education. Ukraine is also considered guilty of most of the economic issues facing Romania, because it simply does not surrender and continues to fight for independence and SOVEREIGNTY.
The 4media.info portal is part of a “network of lies” coordinated by the extremist party AUR, whose representatives have frequently adopted anti-Ukrainian views. Moreover, anti-Ukrainian rhetoric is specific to the entire so-called “sovereignist” spectrum - politicians, publications, influencers, etc. - which over the years have regularly promoted false narratives related to the war in Ukraine, the risks it generates for Romania and Romanian-Ukrainian relations.
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