Romania has an interest in claiming parts of Ukraine, a top Russian spy said, echoing recent comments made by Romanian far-right presidential candidate Calin Georgescu.
Sergey Naryshkin, the Director of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service, made claims in a debate Thursday are part of a Kremlin narrative trying to push the idea that Ukraine is an artificial state to be partitioned and handed to neighboring countries.
Kremlin trap
Romanian officials said the comments from the Kremlin were a trap
Naryshkin spoke about what he called „inevitable collapse” of Ukraine, during the „From Kharkov to Uzhgorod: the history of territorial conflicts and compromises,” debate.
Poland is „closely watching” Lviv, and „parts of the territory of Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina continue to be of interest to Romania,”he said according to Russian news agency TASS.
A video was shown to back up his statements. It began with a statement by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, in which he says that Ukraine has been disputed territory for centuries, followed by a comment from the leader of the Hungarian “Our Fatherland” party who says that if Ukraine loses its statehood as a result of the war, Hungary will claim Transcarpathia.
The video also features the pro-Moscow former president of Moldova, Igor Dodon and Calin Georgescu’s recent statements on Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina which were formerly part of Romania.
Last week, Mr. Georgescu caused waves saying “we must be prepared” to take territories from Ukraine. When Romania joined NATO in 2004 it did so on the condition it did not have any territorial disputes.
Ukraine
Mr. Georgescu’s comments echo far-right Romanian MEP Diana Șoșoacă who has called for annexation of territories from Ukraine that were part of interwar Romania.
But former Foreign Minister Titus Corlățean said Romania should be very cautious.
“We know the history, and we know it has been unjust to us, and we know that Stalin cut parts of Romania’s territory based on the Ribbentrop-Molotov pact. One thing is one, another is another. What the center of power in Russia wants to do is to change the mindset of the international community,” Corlățean said on Antena 3.
What may look tempting and beneficial for some today may turn against you tomorrow, and others may claim Romanian territory, and the day after tomorrow, they may want to conquer it,” he said.
Kremlin map
Last year, Dmitry Medvedev , delivered a speech stating that Ukraine is part of Russia and said that “the historical regions of Russia must return home.”
Behind him was a map in which large parts of Ukraine were colored the same as Russia, while other parts of Ukraine belonged to Romania, Hungary, and Poland. According to the map, Russia would border Romania.
The Russian-Romanian border would be at the Danube Delta, while the Republic of Moldova is represented in a color distinct from Russia or Romania, suggesting it remains a separate entity in Moscow’s vision.
