Romania calls on EU, NATO to arm Ukraine
(BUCHAREST) - Romania's president Traian Basescu on Friday said the European Union and NATO must supply weapons to Ukraine to help it fight Russian-backed insurgents.
"At tomorrow's EU summit I will plead in favour of backing Ukraine with weapons to help it oppose the Russian aggression," Basescu told Romanian diplomats gathered in Bucharest for their annual meeting.
EU and NATO states must "go beyond declarations of good intent", he stressed.
"If we want to give the Ukrainian people a chance, we must act on a par with the Russian Federation, that is supply the Ukrainian army with any means we can supply."
Ukraine's ambassador to the EU on Thursday called for "large-scale" military assistance from Brussels as Kiev claimed Russian troops were fighting in the east of the country.
Kostiantyn Yelisieiev called for EU leaders who are meeting on Saturday to decide on "further resolute significant sanctions and large-scale military and technical assistance to Ukraine in order to stop the aggressor".
Basescu also pleaded for a "new level of sanctions" against Russia.