Romania responds to Putin's claim that Bucharest was partly to blame for war in Ukraine

Romania’s Foreign Ministry has issued a statement in response to Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin's claims that Romania and Bulgaria contributed to the tensions that led to the war in Ukraine.

Source: European Pravda with reference to Digi24

Details: Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrei Țărnea stated that Romania's accession to NATO is the sovereign will of its citizens and its allies and "does not pose a security threat to anyone".

Țărnea stressed that Putin is using "the same familiar narratives that served as a pretext for a brutal war of annexation".

"The only country that threatens regional security in Europe is the Russian Federation, which is waging an illegal and unjustified war, accompanied by numerous war crimes against civilians in Ukraine, as well as Russia’s campaign of disinformation and anti-European and anti-NATO propaganda," he said.

"Russia. Kremlin. Putin. 25 Years", a propaganda documentary recently broadcast on Russia's state-run Rossiya-1 TV channel, included archive footage of the Kremlin leader stating in a speech to world leaders, including Angela Merkel, that "so-called light forward US bases are appearing in Bulgaria and Romania, one in each country. And we have every right to ask ourselves openly: against whom is this expansion taking place?"

The video goes on to show Putin speaking in the present day, explaining what he had meant: "This was the message I wanted to convey to our partners and colleagues, hoping that they would hear us and change their attitude towards Russia. But unfortunately they did not hear us. That is, they heard us, but did not respond appropriately. Ultimately, this led to the tragic events in Ukraine today," the Kremlin leader said.

"Russia. Kremlin. Putin. 25 Years" is a 90-minute documentary directed by propagandist Pavel Zarubin that features a series of interviews recorded in the spring of 2025, presenting Putin's "achievements" during his time in power.

In the film, Putin defends Russia's annexation of Crimea and justifies the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, attacks "Western values", speculates on who might one day replace him, and says he "hopes" he will never have to use nuclear weapons.

Background:

• George Simion, a pro-Russian far-right party leader who has won the first round of the Romanian presidential elections, has called for an end to the Russo-Ukrainian war and spoken out against supplying Ukraine with weapons.
• On 4 May, Romania held the first round of the presidential elections, which resulted in victory for Simion, who gained 40.94% of the vote, and the liberal mayor of Bucharest, Nicușor Dan, who received 20.99%.
• Simion was banned from entering Ukraine on 15 November 2024 for his systematic anti-Ukrainian activity.

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