The perception of the Romanian Minority in Ukraine on the Russian-Ukrainian War

This study explores how the Romanian minority and Romanian-speaking communities in Ukraine perceive the Russian-Ukrainian war following the large-scale invasion launched by Russia on 24 February 2022. Drawing on field research conducted in the regions of Chernivtsi, Zakarpattia, and Odesa, the paper combines focus group interviews, sociological surveys, and an analysis of Romanian-language media narratives to examine the relationship between civic loyalty and ethnic identity in times of war. The research highlights that the Romanian minority demonstrates strong political loyalty to Ukraine and broadly supports the country’s defensive efforts against Russian aggression. At the same time, the study reveals that perceptions of the war are filtered through what the author describes as an “ethnic lens,” shaped by historical experiences, collective memory of Soviet repression, and contemporary debates surrounding minority rights and language policies. The findings show that members of the Romanian community perceive Russia as the main aggressor and largely expect Ukraine to prevail in the conflict. However, this support is accompanied by expectations that, after the war, Ukrainian authorities will improve legislation concerning national minorities, particularly in the fields of education, media, and cultural rights. By integrating sociological data, discourse analysis, and insights from constructivist theories of ethnic identity, the article contributes to broader debates on minority politics, identity transformations, and the role of ethnic communities in wartime societies in Eastern Europe.