Leading in Romania’s presidential race, independent candidate Calin Georgescu strongly opposes providing military assistance to Ukraine.
Front-runner Calin Georgescu, a nationalist, has pledged to halt all aid to Ukraine, prioritizing Romanian interests.
Georgescu secured a surprising victory in November’s first round, garnering 22.94% of the vote, surpassing liberal-leftist Elena Lasconi (19.18%). A runoff election between the two is scheduled for Sunday.
Georgescu, a devoutly religious independent, campaigned on reducing import reliance, boosting domestic production, and criticizing Romania’s involvement in the Ukraine conflict.
In a Thursday interview with the BBC, he committed to ending all military and political support for Kyiv if elected.
“I have to take care of my people. I don’t want to involve my people,” Georgescu stated regarding continued support for Ukraine. He intends to cut off all aid, the former soil scientist added.
“Zero. Everything stops. I have to take care just about my people. We have a lot of problems ourselves.”
The BBC noted Georgescu’s praise for Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and US President Donald Trump, both of whom campaigned on reducing Ukraine spending and focusing on domestic issues. While acknowledging Russian President Vladimir Putin as a “patriot and a leader,” Georgescu clarified he is “not a fan.”
Georgescu dismissed accusations of foreign interference in his campaign, stating his critics “can’t accept that the Romanian people finally said, ‘we want our life back’.”
These accusations allege that a “state actor” manipulated his largely TikTok-based campaign, boosting his reach.
TikTok has categorically denied claims of preferential treatment for Georgescu’s social media account.
The Kremlin rejected Romanian allegations of Russian interference, dismissing them as a typical Western trend.
A Georgescu victory on Sunday would significantly alter Bucharest’s support for Kyiv. Romania has provided Ukraine with over €1.1 billion ($1.18 billion) in mostly military aid, including a Patriot air defense system, according to Germany’s Kiel Institute.