How can Romania help Ukraine? By helping herself!

The Romanian Government negotiated – September 2013 – with the European Commission the first national Integrated Territorial Investment Program (ITI) meant to develop the area around the Danube Delta. Ending his 2.850 km journey from Germany to the Black Sea, Danube River flows into the Black Sea at the border between Romania and Ukraine creating the most amazing natural treasures of Europe, Danube Delta.

10 years ago, there was peace all around the Delta. The main objective of the Romanian Government was to invest European funds in order to preserve the environment and to generate sustainable development for tourism. After constructive negotiations, Romania received 1.2 billion Euros for ITI Danube Delta to modernise the infrastructure facilities while protecting the natural heritage.

This year, a bridge connecting the territory of Romania to the Danube was inaugurated at a cost of 400 million euros with a length greater than 2.1 km. In the current context, it has gained a totally unexpected strategic relevance as the main road of Ukrainian goods to the Port of Constanta.

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A vision for a new Integrated Territorial Investment Program

September 2023 – The same area, that 10 years ago was heavenly peaceful, has unfortunately become the hottest target for Russian drones. Every night, Ukraine’s civil infrastructure, which is very close to the Danube Delta, and Ukrainian population are under attack. Is good to remember, Romania has more than 600 km of border with Ukraine and half of which is a river border, which facilitates its access to river and maritime transport.

After denouncing the Black Sea Grain Initiative, Russia began a ferocious military campaign to fatally damage Ukraine’s ability to ship to and from Romania. Just last week, scraps of Russian drones destroyed by Ukrainian air defence system landed on Romanian shore (a NATO member) adding tension to already strained relationship between Russia and NATO and creating panic among locals.

The Romanian Government, now led by the Social Democrat Marcel Ciolacu, has been staying steady and firm by Ukraine, NATO and UE’s sides since the Russian invasion started, although it is often overwhelmed by logistical and infrastructure challenges. Now the border with Ukraine has become infinitely more crowded than ever with goods and merchandise (bilateral trade has exploded to over 3 billion euros in 2023). The Danube River has gained unprecedented importance for transport, bringing back old disagreements and serious environmental concerns regarding the Ukrainian Bastroe Canal. Port of Constanta, the largest at the Black Sea, has become one of the busiest and overcrowded since the beginning of the Russian illegal invasion in Ukraine and it’s making the new bridge over Danube (built with European funds allocated through the first ITI) to be crossed every minute by heavy transportation coming from and going to Ukraine.

In addition to logistical headaches, there are serious political challenges for the Romanian Government. Populists and pro-Russian politicians use the obvious and objective difficulties to inflame the anti-Ukraine feelings.

Romanian farmers and transporters are legitimately unhappy with the negative economic effects of the EU’s Commission decision not to extend beyond September 15th the ban on grain imports from Ukraine. Worth mentioning are the tensions with Poland, Hungary and Slovakia, countries that maintained the ban.

The Romanian Minister of Transport, Sorin Grindeanu has reaffirmed the position of the Romanian Government: “We will stay next to Ukraine all the way” and has allocated approximately 500 million euros from the national budget to improve the transport infrastructure in the area, although Romania’s budget is running on a high deficit. In this complicated context, in 2024, Romania will hold parliamentary and presidential elections. A pragmatic solution for this situation will benefit Ukraine enormously, but even more Romania itself!

Romanian Government has a vision and a strategy for a second ITI – another major program for Integrated Territorial Investment in the Danube Delta. This time not for preservation of the natural environment, but for facilitation of trade and transport between Ukraine and Romania giving them direct access to the Danube, the Black Sea and the global market. Now, this is necessary for the transport of grains and foodstuffs coming from Ukraine and for the humanitarian and logistical support that Europe and NATO provide through Romania. After the end of the War, the same infrastructure will be ready to be used for the massive challenges of rebuilding Ukraine.

What should be included in this ITI 2? Investing and developing the Danube Ports on the Romanian side (Sulina and Tulcea), Tulcea Airport (which is less than 50 km to the Ukrainian border), the main roads that connect, through the Danube Bridge, Ukraine to the Port of Constanta (continuing in Bulgaria and Türkiye), border crossing points, storage facilities, energy networks (this area is the most developed in Romania in terms of renewable energy production). Accomplishing all these will not exceed the cost of ITI 1, the EU and Romania will not have to spend more than 1.2 billion euros, but it will certainly attract more private and institutional investors. The strategic, economic and political benefits are obvious.

Wars are won by soldiers with iron heart and courage, but also by wise decision-makers who should provide the economic and logistical support that the soldiers on the field need so much.

Romania now has a great challenge: how to support Ukraine without damaging its own political and economic landscape. An ITI 2 is one of the obvious solutions. Helping Ukraine and helping herself! It is only necessary that the EU shares and fully supports this vision which is a Romania – Ukraine – EU – NATO win.

Article also published on Euractiv.