Romanian President Nicușor Dan stated that the scenario of unification between Romania and the Republic of Moldova can only be discussed if the majority of Moldovan citizens want it, noting that “we are not there yet.”
According to Romanian media reports, Dan made the statement in response to questions from journalists upon his arrival at an informal meeting of the European Council.
Moldovan President Maia Sandu, in turn, during her first major press conference in 2026, called a possible union with Romania one of the options for guaranteeing peace and belonging “to the free world,” while emphasizing the priority of the course towards EU accession and pointing out the current lack of sustained public support for the idea of unification.
Ukraine, Romania, and Moldova have agreed to establish a trilateral chamber of commerce and industry, according to Mykola Kutsak, chairman of the Chernivtsi Regional Council.
“In practice, this could mean closer cooperation between our countries and financial assistance to Moldova and Ukraine on their path to the EU. In particular, from our position, we will be talking about Ukraine’s recovery from the consequences of the hostilities,” Kutsak explained.
According to him, representatives of the three countries, the European Parliament, and the European Union are involved in the initiative. A working group has been set up to prepare for the launch of the future platform, which will coordinate further steps to form the structure and mechanisms of the chamber.
Imports of electric generators and rotating electrical converters to Ukraine in 2025 increased 2.3 times compared to 2024, reaching $1.691 billion, according to data from the State Customs Service.
According to statistics, the largest suppliers of these products in 2025 were Romania (21.8%, or $369.2 million), the Czech Republic (17.9%, $301.8 million), and Poland (11%, $191.4 million). In 2024, China (17.7%, or $130 million), the Czech Republic (16.6%, $121.5 million), and Turkey (13.5%, $99 million) were the leaders.
In December 2025, imports of electric generators and converters fell by 30.6% compared to December 2024, to $177.5 million.
The State Customs Service also recorded a slowdown in growth rates during the year: in January 2025, imports exceeded the January 2024 figure by 8 times, and the high rate (about 7-7.5 times) continued until July, after which it began to decline.
Exports of electric generators from Ukraine in 2025 remained insignificant and amounted to $3.6 million (in 2024 – $1.7 million). The main destinations for supplies were the Czech Republic, Latvia, and Bulgaria; there were no exports in December.
As reported, at the end of July 2024, Ukraine exempted the import of electric generator equipment and batteries from customs duties and VAT. According to the State Customs Service, in 2024, imports of electric generators and converters amounted to $732.5 million, which is 3.7% more than in 2023.
The Romanian government has announced the acquisition of 100% of the shares of Danube Logistics, the operator of the Giurgiulești International Free Port in the Republic of Moldova, from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
The Moldovan Ministry of Economy has confirmed the legality of the transaction, emphasizing that it concerns only the private port operator and does not affect state-owned land. Final approval of the price is expected on February 11, 2026.
The Romanian side plans to invest more than €24 million in the modernization and development of Giurgiulești’s infrastructure: the goal is to integrate the port into Romania’s logistics network, expand its capacity, and strengthen the region’s role in the Danube and Black Sea transport corridors.
The port of Giurgiulești is located on a short section of Moldova’s access to the Danube, near the border with Romania and Ukraine, and is Moldova’s only port with access to sea and river routes.
The EBRD has previously noted the port’s strategic importance for Moldova’s foreign trade (over 70% of water import and export flows) and its potential as a hub that could be in demand for regional logistics, including future projects to rebuild Ukraine.
In Romania, a penitentiary institution has launched a “service advertisement” for individuals and companies: prisoners can be hired for domestic and seasonal work at a rate of about 27 lei per hour, based on a simple service contract.
The jobs advertised include chopping wood, manual earthworks, tree pruning/clearing, and clearing plots of land, ditches, and canals. The announcement also states that food and security/escort are provided by the institution, and transport to the work site can be provided separately at a rate of approximately 2 lei/km.
This refers to Penitenciarul Mioveni (Romania), as reported by the Romanian media with reference to the institution’s publication.
The context provided in the article: against the backdrop of a labor shortage, many companies in Romania are attracting workers from non-EU countries. According to data cited from a study by the Economic and Social Council (CES), of the 136,334 third-country nationals with work permits (as of the end of August), the largest groups are from Nepal and Sri Lanka.
The list of countries whose citizens are mentioned in the article as the main groups of workers from third countries includes Nepal, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Moldova, India, Bangladesh, China, Syria, Egypt, and Pakistan.
Romanian border guards are not allowing many cars arriving from Ukraine to cross the border without proof of technical inspection, according to eyewitnesses.
To cross the border, drivers are required to present a technical inspection certificate confirming that the vehicle is in good working order. It is also necessary to have documents for entry and travel, including passport documents, car papers, and insurance, and in some cases, confirmation of the purpose of the trip and a power of attorney when driving someone else’s car.
The Romanian border police previously indicated that during border control, drivers must present an identity document, a valid driver’s license, vehicle registration documents, and confirmation of a valid periodic technical inspection, which must be valid at the time of presentation at the checkpoint.
In addition, border guards remind travelers that customs restrictions on entry into Romania apply to meat and dairy products, honey, and cash in excess of €10,000, which must be declared.
