Comments by Romanian presidential candidate about Ukraine’s territorial integrity are straight out of the Kremlin playbook and could amount to treason, a Romanian political leader said on Friday.
The candidate, Calin Georgescu, has ‘legitimized Russia’s historical territorial annexation of Romania by saying that Ukraine was an artificial state, echoing Kremlin narratives, a leader of the ruling Liberal Party, Alexandru Muraru, said.
“Georgecu’s intentions clearly violate the Constitution, the NATO accession treaty and go as far as treason,” he said in a statement.
Mr. Muraru said that the statements made in a recent interview are “even more serious than those made by the diplomatic servants of the Kremlin regime.” If the Russian ambassador had said the same things “it would have sparked a diplomatic scandal.”
NATO skeptic Calin Georgescu came from nowhere to surprisingly won the first round of Romania’s presidential elections on Nov. 24. But the elections were canceled ahead of the runoff over intelligence reports that Russia had intervened in a “complex and sophisticated” way to illegally boost his campaign.
“Romania is not and will not be a pawn in Russia’s plans. Romania’s place is in Europe, alongside its Western partners,” said Alexandru Muraru.
In the interview this week, Georgescu argued that Romania should be part of a scenario that saw Ukraine carved up and some regions handed back to Romania. When Romania joined NATO in 2004, one of the conditions was that it did not have territorial claims on another country.
“Romania’s history is about the loss of territories by force and threats. In 1812, Russia annexed Bessarabia (modern-day Moldova), taking advantage of the weakness of the Ottoman Empire. In 1940, the Soviet Union again occupied Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina, followed by deportations and brutal persecutions against the Romanian population.”
“These territorial abductions were not only acts of aggression, but also attempts to erase the Romanian national identity. Calin Georgescu never disavowed them, criticized or blamed Russia, in its (various) forms, – the Tsarist Empire or the Soviet Union.”
The Liberal deputy leader said that Mr. Georgescu’s statements legitimize…and publicly urge the recognition of territory that was seized by an aggressor.. namely Russia.”
He accused Mr. Georgescu ‘the pro-Russian candidate” of flagrantly violating Romania’s Constitution and of “mystifying European history, politicizing it and of contesting international norms, treaties and borders.”
He puts himself at the disposal of a foreign power with the obvious purpose of “enslavement to a foreign power or organization” and “helping a foreign power or organization to carry out a hostile activity or against national security”, an act punishable by imprisonment from 10 to 20 years and the prohibition of exercising certain rights”,
“After 80 years of peace, we are witnessing deliberate attempts to break down the peace built after World War II.
“President Vladimir Putin began this process in 2014 (and) today, Georgescu suggests that Romania should also enter this dangerous game. Not only is it irresponsible, but it is an attack on the future of this country.”
