There is no greater confusion these days than that observed among the supporters of the Kremlin in Romania and those who have promoted and distributed Russia’s messages in the mass media and on social networks.
All the communication infrastructure behind Călin Georgescu, consisting of reservists, politicians like Victor Ponta, journalists like Ion Cristoiu, Marius Tucă, etc., has fallen into disarray after Donald Trump criticized Vladimir Putin and asked him to make a „deal” to end the war in Ukraine.
After the annulment of the presidential elections by the CCR, all those who stood behind Călin Georgescu, an admirer of Vladimir Putin and a critic of NATO and the European Union, tried to present him as a supporter of Donald Trump and a political leader validated by the American president.
In addition to appearances on TV stations in Romania, podcasts, and interviews where Georgescu showed his attachment to Trump’s „ideas,” the pro-Russian candidate was also pushed into interviews with bloggers from the USA who promoted Russia’s interests regarding Ukraine in their interventions.
The pro-Russian network in Romania, supporting Călin Georgescu, was desperate for him to be supported by representatives of the new American administration, but this did not happen.
It was the best camouflage of the Kremlin's dictated discourse in a "conservative, Republican" one.
The process aimed to create the perception among the public that Georgescu is "supported by Americans," in addition to the enthusiasm with which he is applauded in Russia by Alexander Dughin and the entire propaganda controlled and promoted by the Kremlin.
But shock and awe! In three public statements since taking office, Donald Trump has asked Putin to sit at the negotiation table and reach an agreement to end the war in Ukraine.
A Lost Bet
The strategists behind Georgescu made a series of wrong assumptions and a bet that they lost.
In an attempt to soften the visibly anti-NATO and anti-EU positions, which are unpopular in Romania, they started from the premise that Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin are on the same side, share common values, that the American president never criticized the Russian leader, and that they communicated well.
But this image was related to the relationship four years ago, one that evolved in a different context, before Putin's decision to invade Ukraine. The war strongly impacted this relationship, which changed over time.
Moreover, Georgescu's supporters bet that Trump would be tempted to validate a candidate with populist-nationalist views from Eastern Europe who declares himself his follower and marginalize the importance of the strategic partnership between the two countries.
But this did not happen, and now Călin Georgescu and his sponsors are confused, trying to find other lines of discourse and action to keep the public's attention.
Georgescu Has One Wish, for Ukraine Not to Be Supported by the US
It is confusing to see Georgescu commenting on Donald Trump's post threatening Putin with new sanctions if he does not make a "deal" regarding the war in Ukraine.
In a podcast hosted by Marius Tucă, he says, "Trump was clear, and so was Marco Rubio (the US Secretary of State - ed.), with Ukraine, things are settled. So it's clear, there will be no more funding, things are desired to be stopped."
Călin Georgescu's great revelation from Trump's strong signal to the Kremlin was that the US will no longer support Ukraine militarily, which is actually false information because there has been no official statement from the new administration on this subject, at least not yet.
But that has been and remains Călin Georgescu's problem. He has a mission: his speech to rhyme perfectly with Russia's objectives in Romania - closing the Deveselu shield, no American soldiers at the Black Sea, and compromising the relationship between Bucharest and Kiev.
Donald Trump came to the White House with a different strategy, different from that of 2016, based on a new geopolitical reality. Neither the US nor Ukraine started the biggest military conflict in Europe after World War II, and the one who started it is now significantly affected by the erroneous strategic decision that weakened Russia.
Romania's Far Right Lacks Resources to Break Away from the Kremlin
In a situation as complicated as that of the pro-Russians in Romania, Viktor Orban, the Prime Minister of Hungary, is currently going through these days, positioning himself in recent years as the Trojan horse of the Kremlin within the European Union and NATO.
He promoted a shocking closeness to Vladimir Putin, blocked European sanctions against Russia as much as possible, and undermined the support for Ukraine by EU member states.
He also bet that a return of Donald Trump to the White House would turn him into an important power agent gravitating around the two. But he was wrong.
"Hungary is expected to drop its block on the European Union's renewal of sanctions against Russia after US President Donald Trump threatened Moscow with even more sanctions, according to five diplomats familiar with the discussions," an article published by Politico states.
Viktor Orban opposed this renewal of sanctions, necessary every six months, but the situation began to change, with Hungarian diplomats in Brussels signaling that they might no longer oppose the procedure, the source cited.
In Romania, the entire nationalist and conservative movement has been built by promoting Russia's narrative, both during the pandemic and after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine.
Although controlling 35% of Parliament today, the far right seems to lack sufficient resources to break away from the Kremlin and assume a constructive role in Romanian politics, meaning to become a conservative movement that promotes national values, true patriotism, not manufactured in Kremlin labs, governmental efficiency, state intervention limitation, bureaucracy reduction, encouragement of domestic businesses, etc.
Unfortunately, the war in Ukraine will not end in a single day, as promised by Donald Trump in the electoral campaign, and the road to a ceasefire will be winding and full of new surprises.