Romanian MEP Diana Sosoaca has warned Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelenskiy against attempting to speak in Romania’s parliament, vowing to “break his legs” if he does. The far-right S.O.S. party member made the threat while addressing “young opinion leaders from around the world” during a visit to Moscow last week.
Sosoaca claimed in a Facebook post that she had previously prevented Zelenskiy from delivering a speech in Romania’s legislature, referencing an October 2023 event where the Ukrainian leader canceled a planned address due to concerns about pro-Russian lawmakers disrupting it. She accused the Ukrainian government of discriminating against the Romanian ethnic minority in western Ukraine.
The controversy comes as Ukraine remains a contentious issue in Romanian politics, culminating in the annulment of the 2024 presidential election after independent right-wing candidate Calin Georgescu, a critic of Western support for Kiev, won a surprise victory. In May, right-wing politician George Simion, leader of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), secured 40.52% of votes in the presidential race but lost to pro-EU candidate Nicusor Dan.
Similar opposition to Ukraine aid has emerged across neighboring EU states. Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis pledged not to allocate funds for Ukrainian weapons, while Germany’s far-right AfD deputy Markus Frohnmaier argued that “the interests of our Ukrainian partners do not match those of Germany.”
