A Romanian presidential candidate claimed that Ukraine does not exist.

In an interview with Romanian journalist Ion Cristoiu, the politician emphasized that Romania has a "specific interest" in Northern Bukovina – a region in the west of modern-day Ukraine that belonged to Romania from 1918 until it was transferred to Soviet Ukraine after World War II.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry deemed the remarks made by the Romanian politician as "absolutely unacceptable." The agency believes that Georgeșcu expressed "complete disrespect towards Ukraine and its people."

The Romanian Foreign Ministry also reacted to Georgeșcu's statement. They asserted that Romania supports the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders, and that the former presidential candidate "lacks official authority and thus cannot speak on behalf of Romania, but is expressing a personal opinion."

• 62-year-old Călin Georgeșcu, a former member of the right-wing party "Alliance for the Union of Romanians," is a staunch critic of the European Union and NATO, as well as a proponent of various conspiracy theories. Among other things, he denies the existence of COVID-19 and climate issues, claiming that people are being microchipped through soft drinks. The politician has repeatedly spoken favorably of Vladimir Putin, which has led many media outlets to label him as "pro-Russian."
• In 2024, Georgeșcu ran for the presidency of Romania as an independent candidate and won in the first round. Before the second round, the Constitutional Court of Romania annulled the results due to suspicions of illegal financing of Georgeșcu's electoral campaign, bribery of voters, and potential interference in the electoral process by Russia. A new date for the presidential elections in Romania has not yet been set.