The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, in his Telegram message, congratulated the newly elected President of Romania, Nicușor Dan, on his victory in the elections and expressed gratitude for the support from the country. According to him, it is very important for Romania to develop and for Ukraine and Romania to cooperate in the region and in Europe.
This is reported by Kyiv24
In his message, Zelensky noted:
“I congratulate you on your victory in the presidential elections. It is very important for Romania to develop and for all of us to work together in our region and in Europe. We respect Romania and the choice of the Romanian people. This is a country that is crucial in matters of security. We are very grateful for the contribution to protecting the lives of our people. It is important that support for Ukraine continues. Romania understands how vital the fight for freedom and justice is.”
The head of the Ukrainian state also invited Nicușor Dan to visit Ukraine. According to the Romanian electoral commission, in the second round of the presidential elections held on May 18, the pro-European and pro-Ukrainian candidate — the mayor of Bucharest, Nicușor Dan, won with 53.6% of the votes. His opponent, the far-right candidate George Simion, received support from 46.4% of voters.
Background of the Elections in Romania and Political Context
The elections also included candidates who were nominated in the second round instead of the former president, Kelin Georgescu, who was barred from running again. The Romanian authorities annulled the results of previous votes, accusing Russia of interfering in the elections, which caused significant resonance in the country.
In the first round, which took place on May 4, Simion received about 41%, while Dan received nearly 21%. Recent polls showed a close race between the candidates, although later the advantage shifted to Simion. Voters cast their ballots in the context of a tense political situation that influenced the voting results.