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Transsylvania
(February 3, 2022) The ReConnect Transylvania program included destinations of Hungarian cultural and historical significance, both in urban and rural areas. Meet Becky as she shares her ReConnect Transylvania 2021 experience: "We visited historical landmarks, museums, libraries, and castles in the vibrant cities of Kolozsvár, Marosvásárhely, and Segesvár, where our Peer Guides introduced us to important Hungarians figures of the past and the historical events that have shaped the region. We also visited rural villages nestled in the mountains with overnight stays in Zetalaka, where we sampled homemade pálinka and learned how to make kürtőskalács, and in Torockó, where we hiked up the mountain Székelykő for a breathtaking view. To better understand the lives and cultural traditions of Transylvanian Hungarians, we took a closer look at their religious beliefs, visiting both Catholic and Unitarian churches, the pilgrimage site of Csiksomlyó, and the holy mountain of Madarasi Hargita. We also had the chance to observe local artisans by visiting a leather-craftsman in his workshop, shopping at a family-owned pottery shop in Korond, and enjoying a private tour of the Bánffy castle in Bonchida, where conservationists actively worked to restore the structures. As we learned more about the history of Transylvania, ate homemade meals prepared by the owners of the inns where we lodged, and learned more and more Hungarian words and phrases, we made new connections and discoveries with our own families’ traditions and histories. Some members of our group even met relatives living in the area, where they shared old photos, made new family tree connections, and brought each other up to date on family news, while other members of our group explored the history and events related to their ancestors’ lives. By the end of our trip, our group felt more Hungarian than ever, so it seemed right that we found ourselves on the final night of our trip immersed in folk music and folk dancing at the Hungarian Festival in Kolozsvár, in celebration of St. Stephen’s Day: a fitting end to a trip dedicated to reconnecting with our Hungarian heritage. (Source: ReconnectHungary / HungarianHumanRightsFoundation)
France
February 3, 2022 Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Le Drian is on a visit to Bucharest from February 2- 3. The minister will be received by Romanian President Iohannis and will meet with Romanian Foreign Affairs Minister Aurescu. Tomorrow the minister will take part in a meeting of foreign ministers from Baltic, Central and Eastern European countries in the so-called “Bucharest 9” format (Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania and Slovakia). This meeting will cover the current tensions among the European Union’s eastern neighbors and the different aspects of this crisis that have been discussed at the EU, NATO and OSCE. (Source: Ministèredel'EuropeetdesAffairesétrangères)
Germany
2022. febr. 3. The Russian government’s decision to shut down the operations of state-funded German broadcaster Deutsche Welle is unfounded and burdens German-Russian relations, Germany’s foreign ministry said today. “If these measures are actually implemented, this will limit free reporting by independent journalists in Russia, which is particularly important in politically tense times,” the spokesperson added. Today’s announced decision was in response to Berlin’s ban on Russian broadcaster RT DE. The Russian foreign ministry also said it would bar entry to Russia for German officials involved in the move to ban RT DE. (Source: Euractiv)
Europe
3 February 2022 Russia has condemned a US decision to send extra troops to Europe to support its allies amid continuing fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grushko said it was a "destructive" and an "unjustified" step which heightened tension and reduced the scope for a political solution. The Pentagon said 2,000 US troops would be sent from North Carolina to Poland and Germany, and 1,000 already in Germany would go to Romania. Their deployment is in addition to the 8,500 troops the Pentagon put on alert last month to be ready to deploy to Europe if needed. These are combat-ready troops but they are not expected to be fighting Russian soldiers - if they were the deployment would be much bigger. After all Moscow is not seen to be directly threatening Poland and Romania. Biden is not sending a lot of troops, and notably, none to the Baltic states right on Russia's doorstep. These deployments are the concrete sign that the current crisis is over the post-Cold War security infrastructure in Europe. Romania, which is hosting some of the newly deployed US troops, is home to a US-built Aegis land-based missile defence station, which Russia has described as a security threat since it opened in 2016. (Source: BBC)
3 February 2022 The US proposal leaked to a Spanish newspaper was genuine, Pentagon spokesman Kirby told. The US offer of talks with Russia in exchange for reducing tensions over Ukraine - US proposals - reportedly include: "Reciprocal commitments" by the US and Russia "to refrain from deploying offensive ground-launched missile systems and permanent forces with a combat mission in the territory of Ukraine;" Talks about reducing nuclear weaponry and missile launchers; A "transparency mechanism" to show Russia there are no US cruise missiles at two Nato bases in Romania and Bulgaria, in exchange for Russia allowing the US to check two of its bases for missiles. The documents said the US would discuss all issues that affect European security with its allies. Mr Putin said the US had ignored Moscow's concerns in its response to Russian demands for legally binding security guarantees, including a block on the Nato alliance's further expansion to the east. Today Nato Secretary-General Stoltenberg said the alliance had seen a "significant movement" of roughly 30,000 Russian troops to Belarus in the last few days - the biggest deployment to the country since the end of the Cold War. Russia says the troops are there for joint military drills. Ukraine's Defence Minister Reznikov said today the number of ceasefire violations in eastern Ukraine had dropped, and that there have been no combat losses for three weeks. (Source: BBC)
February 3, 2022 The Russian military has launched a series of drills across the country amid the tensions with the West over Ukraine. NATO Secretary-General Stoltenberg expressed concern today that Russia is continuing its military buildup around Ukraine, and that it has now deployed more troops and military equipment to Belarus that at any time in the last 30 years. He said that Russian troop numbers in Belarus are likely to climb to 30,000, with the backing of special forces, high-end fighter jets, Iskander short-range ballistic missiles, and S-400 ground-to-air missile defense systems. “All this will be combined with Russia’s annual nuclear forces exercise, expected to take place this month,” Stoltenberg said. He called on Russia to “de-escalate,” and repeated warnings from the West that “any further Russian aggression would have severe consequences and carry a heavy price.” NATO has no intention of deploying troops to Ukraine should Russia invade, but it has begun to reinforce the defenses of nearby member countries - notably Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. The 30-nation military alliance also plans to beef up its defenses in the Black Sea region near Bulgaria and Romania. (Source: APnews)
Turkey
Feb 03 2022 Delicate balancing act for Turkey over Ukraine may end in disappointment. Turkish President Erdoğan is visiting Kiev today for meetings with his Ukrainian counterpart. Between 2019 and 2021, the two presidents met five times. The talks are aimed at strengthening a military-industrial partnership opposed by Russia. Erdoğan's efforts to exert Turkey's influence and mediate a solution to the tensions may end in disappointment with possible repercussions for Turkey's regional standing. Supporting Ukraine without irritating Russia is the balancing act that Turkish President Erdoğan is expected to undertake in Kiev - Erdoğan prides himself on having a privileged relationship with both sides, to the point of having offered to mediate in the conflict. "By bringing the two leaders [Ukraine’s Zelensky and Russian Putin] together in our country if they so wish, we can pave the way for restoring peace," he said on Jan. 26, adding that a Russian invasion of Ukraine would be an "irrational move on Russia's part". Erdoğan's offer of mediation was immediately rejected by the Kremlin, quick to accuse Turkey of feeding "militaristic sentiment" in Ukraine - at issue is the delivery of Turkish Bayraktar TB2 armed drones to the Ukrainian army, which used them in October to hit a Russian howitzer operated by the separatists of the Donbass supported by the Kremlin. The strike was "a provocation", Putin insisted in a telephone conversation described as heated with Erdoğan on Dec. 3. Since that episode, relations between the two presidents have cooled slightly. Turkey continues to support Ukraine's and Georgia's bid to join NATO. Turkey is not ready to give up its defence agreements with Kiev and is even more unlikely to recognise Moscow's annexation of the Crimean peninsula, the original land of the Turkic-speaking Tatars, once under the protection of the Ottoman Empire. The agreements to be signed today between Erdoğan and Zelensky - a free trade treaty and several military-industrial agreements - can only increase the Kremlin's ire. In the eyes of Ukrainian military experts, the possibility of replicating in Donbass the winning combination of Turkish drones and Ankara's military expertise, as Azerbaijan did at the time of the autumn 2020 conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, is a real temptation. The Bayraktar TB2s tipped the military balance in favour of Turkey's allies in Libya and Nagorno-Karabakh. Ukraine has also started producing them on its soil. The Turkish company Baykar, which produces the TB2 armed drone, has just acquired a plot of land not far from the Ukrainian air base of Vasylkiv, south-west of Kiev, where a training centre for the piloting and maintenance of drones is being built. Baykar also plans to invest with Ukrainian engine manufacturer Motor Sich and its design office Ivchenko-Progress. In the autumn of 2021, Motor Sich has committed to supplying the Turkish defence contractor with turboprop engines for its new Akinci combat drone, which is more powerful than the TB2 and which Kiev is considering acquiring. In addition to the joint production of engines and the An-178 military transport aircraft, Kiev and Ankara are also planning to produce corvettes together at the shipyards of Mykolaïv, a Ukrainian port on the Black Sea. For the Turks, it is urgent to deepen ties with Ukraine, especially in view of Russian actions in the Black Sea. Since the annexation of Crimea in March 2014, Moscow has become the dominant power in the Black Sea. Prior to 2014, this role was played by Turkey, which had 44 surface ships compared to Russia's 26. Since then, Moscow has reversed the trend, with 49 surface ships. In addition, the Russian fleet stationed in Crimea has been reinforced. Warships and submarines operating there have now been equipped with Kalibr cruise missiles, capable of hitting targets 2,400 km away, while more Russian spy ships are plying the waters to gather intelligence. Despite the cordial understanding with his "friend" Putin, the Turkish leader increasingly perceives Russia's military expansion in the region as a threat to his country's geopolitical and energy security. In 2014, Turkey had condemned the annexation of Crimea, while remaining outside the sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union against Russia. Despite his anti-Western bias, Mr Erdoğan has constantly pleaded for a greater NATO presence in the Black Sea. In June 2021, Russian forces fired warning shots at the British warship HMS Defender, which was en route from the Ukrainian port of Odessa to Georgia. Russia's military elite is upset about the "Sea Breeze" exercises, organised annually since 2019 by the United States, which has invited 32 other countries, including Ukraine, to take part in the summer of 2021. Mr Erdoğan's concern has been heightened by the discovery of an apparently vast natural gas field off the Turkish coast in the summer of 2020. Erdoğan wants both to strengthen his commitment to NATO, to restore its image tarnished by the purchase of S-400, and to protect its cooperation with Russia in Syria and in the energy field. A large-scale Russian attack on Idlib would surely create a new wave of refugees. This new influx of Syrians to Turkey, which already hosts nearly 4 million, would affect the Turkish authorities and also the countries of the Mediterranean. And in the energy field nearly 40 percent of gas consumed in Turkey is supplied by the Russian company Gazprom. An open conflict between Russia and Ukraine would be a tragedy, both for Europe and for Ankara, which would be forced to end its balancing act between NATO and Russia and give up its ambitions as a regional power. (Source: Ahval)
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