One of Romania's presidential candidates has called Ukraine a "fictional state" and said that the division of its territories is "inevitable."
In an interview with Romanian journalist Ion Cristoiu published Wednesday on YouTube, Călin Georgescu spoke about the Russia-Ukraine war and how its borders could be redrawn, with Bucharest seizing some of Kyiv's territory, according to The Kyiv Independent.
Newsweek reached out to Georgescu, Romania's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine for comment via email.
Why It Matters
Georgescu's statement could drastically change the relations between Ukraine and Romania if he is elected. Furthermore, his popularity indicates that Romanians' attitudes toward Ukraine and their support of the war may have changed.
Georgescu has opposed military support for Ukraine, according to the Kyiv Independent, and is the leading candidate ahead of May's presidential election. His stance on Ukraine conflicts with Romania's, as the country has been one of Ukraine's strongest supporters since the war broke out in February 2022.
What To Know
Discussing the idea of redrawing Ukraine's borders, Georgescu said that "100 percent it will happen" and that "the path to something like this is inevitable. Ukraine is a fictional state...the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic."
Referring to Romania's borders, Georgescu added: "The world is changing. Borders will change.... If borders change, where are we? We have an interest in Northern Bukovina. We have Budjak, we have Northern Maramures, the former Transcarpathia.... There are still Hungarians."
He also suggested that Poland would annex Lviv, which Russia has also said. Polish Foreign Affairs Minister Radosław Sikorski has previously denied any plans to annex the city in western Ukraine, according to Russian newspaper Pravda.
Georgescu is not the first Romanian right-wing candidate to suggest annexing parts of Ukraine. Claudiu Tarziu, a member of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians party, previously made similar statements.
Diana Sosoaca, the leader of the pro-Russian SOS Romania party, has called for annexation of several former Romanian territories in Ukraine, according to The New Voice of Ukraine, an online newspaper.
Who Is Călin Georgescu?
Georgescu is a right-wing presidential candidate who is unaffiliated with any party and a prominent critic of Bucharest's pro-NATO and pro-Ukraine policy. He unexpectedly took the lead in the Romanian presidential election in late November 2024.
Romania previously annulled the results of the first round of the presidential election, opting for a rerun after ordering a recount. This decision followed President Klaus Iohannis' declassification of intelligence documents that alleged that Russia orchestrated an election campaign to promote Georgescu on platforms such as TikTok and Telegram. Georgescu denied any wrongdoing and said that his campaign was supported by "a network of Romanian volunteers."
Georgescu is projected to obtain 38 percent of the vote in May, according to the Belgian news outlet Euractiv.
What People Are Saying
Responding to Georgescu's comments, Heorhii Tykhyi, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in a statement: "Romanian politician Calin Georgescu's statements, which question the territorial integrity of our state, represent extreme disrespect for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. We consider categorically unacceptable and condemn revisionist statements or actions that encroach on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, contradict international norms, the UN Charter, as well as basic democratic values."
He went on: "Against this backdrop, Calin Georgescu's attempts to position himself as an 'independent' politician look absurd: his statements parrot Russian propaganda, which indicates complete dependence on his masters in Moscow. We are convinced that it is in the interests of Romania and the Romanian people to restore a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the neighboring Ukraine, as well as the development of our two states in peace, security, and prosperity for our people. It should be recalled that such a development is not envisaged by the plans of the Kremlin and its puppets."
Anton Gerashchenko, Ukraine's former deputy minister of internal affairs, wrote on X (formerly Twitter): "Ukraine is a 'fictitious state and its division is inevitable.' A far-right pro-Russian Romanian politician, Călin Georgescu, said this in a recent interview, though normally you would hear such things on Russian state TV. The presidential candidate also said that Bukovina and Transcarpathia are of interest to Romania, while Hungary and Poland have their own interests in Ukrainian land.
"Georgescu is acting according to the Kremlin disinformation playbook. Not only is he repeating the popular Russian fake that Ukraine is not a real country, he is reinforcing the narrative that Eastern EU members are planning to overtake Ukrainian territories," Gerashchenko said.
In a statement on X, the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote: "RO MFA strongly reiterates steadfast position in support of the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders. This position is clear and rooted in international law, national interest and a long lasting values-based foreign policy."
What Happens Next
It remains to be seen whether Georgescu will win Romania's presidential election in May and, if the Ukrainian war is still being fought then, how Bucharest's support for Kyiv might change depending on the race's outcome.
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