Reuters: Romanian presidential candidate Georgescu vows to end Ukrainian aid, halt grain exports if he takes office

He claimed that Bucharest owes no obligations to NATO, asserting that the country’s focus should be on the happiness of its people, not defense spending.

Dec 4, 2024 - 21:00
Reuters: Romanian presidential candidate Georgescu vows to end Ukrainian aid, halt grain exports if he takes office

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Romanian presidential candidate Calin Georgescu, who won the first round of elections, said in an interview with Reuters that if he becomes president, he will halt assistance to Ukraine.

The Romania leadership has been a strong supporter of Kyiv amid the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war, including military aid and facilitating Ukrainian grain exports through its Black Sea port of Constanța. However, the growing influence of the pro-Russian far-right has raised concerns about a potential shift in Romania’s foreign policy.

According to the far-right politician, if he wins the election, he will also stop the export of Ukrainian grain through Romania and suspend aid to Kyiv.

“It is unimaginable that there be a war next to us in the middle of Europe, so a priority will definitely be that this war in Ukraine must immediately be stopped,” claimed Georgescu.

He is also convinced that Bucharest “has an obligation to no one.” Georgescu made this statement in response to a question about NATO member countries’ commitment to spending 2% of their GDP on defense annually.

“The concern of the Romanian people is to be happy. They cannot be happy spending money on other things. If NATO is defensive, then it should remain defensive. I believe one thing – Romania has an obligation to no one,” said Georgescu.

Romania has played a crucial role in supporting Ukraine since Russia’s 2022 invasion, enabling the export of millions of tons of Ukrainian grain through its Black Sea port of Constanța and providing military aid.

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