**Romania Presidential Candidate Promises to End Support for Ukraine**
A surprise candidate in Romania’s presidential election has said he would end all support for Ukraine if elected. Calin Georgescu, a fringe nationalist politician, is leading the polls ahead of Sunday’s second-round run-off against Elena Lasconi.
Georgescu claims that his priority would be the Romanian people and not international politics. However, this stance is in stark contrast to Romania’s current pro-EU position on Ukraine. The country has provided significant support to Ukraine since the Russian invasion in 2022, including military aid and a Patriot missile defense system.
The Romanian president has accused Georgescu of receiving backing from Russia through a social media campaign. Declassified documents have revealed that hundreds of thousands of dollars were spent promoting Georgescu’s content on TikTok, which is against both Romanian election law and the platform’s rules.
Georgescu denied these claims, saying he was not “Moscow’s man” but rather a champion for Romania’s interests. He described his opponents as trying to scare people with propaganda.
**Election Under Scrutiny**
The constitutional court in Romania is now flooded with requests to investigate allegations of election meddling. Prosecutors have announced a criminal investigation into the matter, although no timeline has been given for its conclusion.
The president of Romania has stated that the country’s integrity and sovereignty are at risk if Georgescu wins the election. Protests are planned in Bucharest tonight to show opposition to Georgescu’s nationalist stance.
**Georgescu’s Views on Ukraine**
When questioned about Russia’s war on Ukraine, Georgescu initially denied its existence. He stated that Romania would not provide military or political support for Ukraine if he were elected and claimed that the country should focus on its own problems first.
This change in position would have significant implications for both Romania and the European Union, as well as Nato, with which Romania is allied.
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