Romania will completely stop military aid to neighboring Ukraine, promises Calin Georgescu, the independent presidential candidate who, to a huge and widespread surprise, is the front-runner in the second round of Sunday's presidential election.

Georgescu was a marginal candidate in the first round of the elections, but won the most votes of the 13 candidates, even though he had no party behind him and campaigned exclusively on the Tiktok platform. In the face of accusations that he did not report as an expense the money invested in Tiktok to expand his circle of followers to several million people, no proceedings were initiated and he was allowed to compete in the second round.

The Constitutional Court decided to recount millions of ballots, but later confirmed the results of the first round and allowed the second round to take place as scheduled.

This means that tomorrow the Romanians will be able to choose one of the two candidates – for the pro-Russian Calin Georgescu, who won 2,12 million votes in the first round, or for the pro-European Elena Lasconi, who won 1,77 million votes in the first round, only 2.740 more than third-place Marcel Cholaku.

Incumbent President Klaus Ioannis also released documents from intelligence agencies on Wednesday, alleging that Georgescu's "massive and highly organized" Tiktok campaign was coordinated by a foreign state. The documents also contain an intelligence conclusion that "Russia is conducting hybrid attacks on Romania, which it considers an enemy country." The European Union, however, in a separate case, asked TikTok to "freeze" data related to the elections in Romania, in an investigation into possible illegal influence on democratic processes.

Yesterday, the Romanian prosecutor's office announced the opening of a criminal investigation, but it will be conducted only after the second round, in which Georgescu can win.

The pro-Russian candidate rejects all accusations that he is a "man of Moscow".

– They are afraid. They cannot accept that the Romanians finally said "we want our life, our country, our dignity back" - said Georgescu.

In a pre-election interview with the BBC, the independent candidate praised populist leaders Donald Trump and Viktor Orbán, but stressed that he does not like Russian President Vladimir Putin, although he considers him a "patriot" and a "leader".

On the other hand, when asked whether, if he wins the elections, Romania will continue to give help and support to Hungary in the war with Russia, Georgescu was adamant that this will change.

- Zero. Everything will stop. I only have to worry about my people. We ourselves have many problems - said Georgescu.

The President of Romania has somewhat more than ceremonial power. He is the commander-in-chief of the military forces, appoints the prime minister and has a role in foreign policy. Romania is a member of NATO and has been one of the staunchest supporters of Ukraine since the Russian military invasion began. A large NATO base and parts of the "Patriot" anti-aircraft system are deployed on its territory, Bucharest provides financial aid to Kiev, and Romania is key to the export of Ukrainian grain.

Georgescu does not dispute Romania's membership in the European Union and NATO, but announces that as president he will negotiate for everything, with a focus on national interests.
It was Georgescu's covert pro-Russian orientation that was the reason for the mass demonstrations in Bucharest, organized by his opponent, the former television presenter Lasconi from the Union for the Salvation of Romania. The gathering featured mostly European flags, but Romanian flags with a hole in the center were also flown, as a reminder of the 1989 revolution, when people cut the communist symbols from the tricolor. A number of prominent pop stars, artists and civil activists openly supported Lasconi and called on citizens to vote for her en masse "so that Romania does not remain isolated in both the EU and NATO".

Results of the last poll conducted before the second round of the presidential elections in Ukraine indicate an uncertain duel. Lasconi would win 48,6 percent of the votes, and Georgescu 46,4 percent. Three percent of the people surveyed are determined to cancel the ballot, and 2 percent have not yet decided.

But that doesn't necessarily mean anything, considering that Georgescu's rating two weeks ago was 8 percent, and he won 22,8 percent of the votes in the first round of the election.