AGERPRES special correspondent Florin Stefan reports: The threat posed by the Russian Federation extends beyond Ukraine, with Europe facing hybrid warfare involving cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns, sabotage and disruption of critical infrastructure aimed at undermining public trust in democratic institutions and discouraging support for Ukraine, President Nicusor Dan said on Wednesday in his address to the UN General Assembly in New York.

'We are now in the fifth year of the illegal, unprovoked and unjustified full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine waged by a permanent member of the Security Council. This member, entrusted by the entire UN community with the responsibility of maintaining international peace and security, has deliberately abandoned its fundamental obligation and is pursuing a revisionist agenda,' Nicusor Dan said.

The president pointed to the direct consequences of the war for Romania, including repeated violations of its airspace.

'As the EU member state with the longest border with Ukraine, Romania has directly felt the effects of this war through repeated violations of our airspace. A few months ago, a drone crashed into a residential building on our territory, injuring people and causing material damage. It was one episode in an ongoing series of such incidents,' the Romanian president told the UN.

Against this backdrop, Dan reaffirmed Romania's commitment to Ukraine.

'We have said it before and we say it again: Romania will stand by Ukraine and its people as they exercise their legitimate right to self-defence for as long as necessary,' he assured the UN General Assembly.

President Dan highlighted Romania's contribution to regional stability, from assistance for Ukrainian refugees to facilitating grain transit after Russian attacks on Ukraine's ports and grain infrastructure disrupted global food supply chains.

He also explained that, in response to threats to freedom of navigation in the Black Sea, Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey are working together as part of the Black Sea Mine Countermeasures Task Group, conducting mine detection and neutralisation missions and helping protect critical underwater infrastructure.

Dan also outlined further measures to strengthen security and resilience in the region.

'To strengthen security in the Black Sea region, Romania also places particular emphasis on the EU's strategic approach. Together with Bulgaria, we are establishing a maritime security hub designed to strengthen situational awareness capabilities. Finally, in response to disruptions to energy supplies in the region, Romania has expanded its energy interconnections with Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova. Romania will continue to support the resilience of our neighbour, the Republic of Moldova, the country second most affected by this war,' the president said..

Turning to the Republic of Moldova, Dan noted that the country is facing both the economic shock caused by Russia's aggression and a sustained hybrid campaign involving disinformation, energy pressure and attempts to destabilise its democratic institutions.

'Romania is a staunch supporter of the Republic of Moldova in the face of these challenges. Romania also remains the Republic of Moldova's strongest advocate within the European Union, sharing our own accession experience and providing political, technical and diplomatic support for the continuation of its European path,' he said.

Dan concluded by placing these developments within the broader security threat facing Europe.

'The threat posed by the Russian Federation is not limited to Ukraine. Europe is the target of hybrid warfare involving cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns, sabotage and disruption of critical infrastructure, intended to undermine citizens' trust in democratic institutions and discourage support for Ukraine. We must deter the Russian threat and, unfortunately, we can only do so by increasing military spending. Romania supports the new defence spending target of 5% of GDP and is at 3.7% this year,' Nicusor Dan said, referring to the defence spending objective advocated by US President Donald Trump. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Florin Stefan; EN - writing by: Simona Iacob)