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Romanian presidential candidate Calin Georgescu says Ukraine is a ‘fictional state,’ talks post-war partition

Source: Meduza

In an interview this week, Romanian presidential candidate Calin Georgescu said Ukraine is a “fictional state,” prompting diplomats in Kyiv to accuse him of regurgitating Russian propaganda narratives. On January 29, Georgescu told journalist Ion Cristoiu that he is certain Ukraine will be partitioned after a peace deal halts Russia’s invasion. “It will happen, 100 percent. Well, they have no other choice. The path to something like this is unavoidable. Ukraine is a fictional state. We’re talking about the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic,” he said.

Georgescu insisted that a “changing world” will lead to changing borders. “And if the borders change, where will we be? That leaves us with Northern Bukovina, Budjak, Northern Maramures from former Transcarpathia, what’s left from the Hungarians, Lviv (which will go to the Poles), and Little Russia.”

In response, Ukraine’s Foreign Affairs Ministry spokespeople said Georgescu demonstrates “extreme disrespect” toward Ukraine and its people by questioning its territorial integrity. Diplomats also argued that such comments mirror Russian propaganda talking points and undermine Georgescu’s attempts to present himself as an “independent” politician. 

Last November, Calin Georgescu won the first round of Romania’s presidential election with 23 percent of the vote. However, the country’s Constitutional Court subsequently annulled the election results and scheduled another first round of voting on May 4, 2025, with the second round on May 18.

After the November election, Romania’s intelligence services released documents related to Georgescu’s campaign, stating that Romania had been the target of “aggressive hybrid actions by Russia,” including election interference. The declassified documents also indicated that 25,000 bot accounts on TikTok may have been enlisted to campaign for Georgescu. He denied any ties to Russia.

Further reading

From TikTok to the ticket A pro-Russian outsider is suddenly close to the Romanian presidency. Here’s what a Georgescu victory could mean for Ukraine and NATO.

Further reading

From TikTok to the ticket A pro-Russian outsider is suddenly close to the Romanian presidency. Here’s what a Georgescu victory could mean for Ukraine and NATO.