Romania’s far-right presidential frontrunner, Calin Georgescu, has promised to halt Ukrainian grain exports through Romania’s Black Sea port of Constanta and end military aid to Kyiv if elected. Georgescu made the pledge in a Reuters interview ahead of Sunday’s run-off vote.
If he wins, Romania could become isolated within NATO and EU, losing its key support for Ukraine against Russia’s 2022 invasion. Since Russia attacked Ukraine, Romania has helped export millions of tons of Ukrainian grain through Constanta, trained Ukrainian fighter pilots, and donated a Patriot air defense battery to Kyiv.
However, Georgescu said Romania’s interests should come first, adding that “it is unimaginable that there be a war next to us in the middle of Europe.” He also questioned the effectiveness of European Union funding, saying it was “ultra-secondary” and implying that he would prioritize domestic needs over EU support.
Georgescu has criticized past privatization of state assets and said Romanian companies should own majority stakes in foreign ventures. He also vowed to appoint a prime minister from a parliamentary majority arising from the Dec 1 parliamentary election.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/romanias-georgescu-against-ukrainian-grain-exports-via-romania-2024-12-04