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Romania expels two military officials involved in diplomatic rules violations

Bucharest, Romania (AP) – Romania said on Wednesday it had expelled two military diplomats from the Russian embassy in Bucharest as tensions between Moscow and EU and NATO members were sore.

The Romanian Foreign Ministry said the decision was carried with Russia’s military, air and naval forces, Victor Makovskiy and his agent Evgeni Ignatiev were suspected of “activism of Vienna’s regulations on diplomatic relations in 1961”. The ministry provides no further details.

Romanian Foreign Minister Emil Hurezeanu informed the head of the Russian Embassy at a meeting on Wednesday.

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The Russian Embassy described the decision as “unfounded and unfriendly.” The embassy “reserves the right to take retaliation measures,” it said in a Facebook post.

Russia’s SVR Foreign Intelligence Agency reportedly expelled European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who had asked Bucharest to participate in Romanian presidential candidate Calin Georgescu, who stood out in the election canceled last year and participated in Rerun in May.

Georgescu used to praise Russian President Vladimir Putin as “a man who loves his country” and called Ukraine “the country of invention”, but he claimed that he was not pro-Russian.

Romania’s Constitutional Court canceled its move to the general election two days before the runoff on December 8, two days after Georgescu’s surprised first-round victory. The far-right populists investigated in unit numbers and announced zero campaign spending, after which allegations of election violations and Russian intervention emerged. Moscow denied that it interfered with the Romanian election process.

Election Replay

Romanian prosecutors conducted a criminal investigation into Georgescu, accusing him of supporting fascist groups, “inciting actions against the constitutional order”, and false declarations on election campaign financing and asset disclosure. Prosecutors put him under judicial control, and he has appealed.

Georgescu repeatedly denied any misconduct, saying it was a “political case” against him outside court in Bucharest on Monday.

The first round of the election is scheduled to be held on May 4. If no candidate gets more than 50% of the vote, runoff will take place on May 18.

It is not clear whether Georgescu will be able to participate in the new election.

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